Health inspection·January 30, 2025

F 0550 Level of Harm - Minimal harm or potential for actual harm Residents Affected - Few Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. **NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on resident interview, medical record review, staff interview and review of facility policy, the facility failed to ensure residents were provided opportunities and assistance with voting. This affected three (#4, #7 and #47) of three residents reviewed for voting, with the potential to affect all residents except one (#69) identified by the facility as voting by absentee ballot. The facility census was 91. Findings include: 1. Review of the medical record for Resident #4 revealed an admission date of 04/03/23. Diagnoses included Parkinson's disease. Review of the quarterly Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment dated [DATE] revealed Resident #4 was cognitively intact. Interview on 01/27/25 at 3:21 P.M. with Resident #4 revealed the facility did not provide assistance or opportunities for her to vote in recent elections and it was important to her to vote. 2. Review of the medical record for Resident #7 revealed an admission date of 04/25/22. Diagnoses included diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cerebral vascular accident (CVA). Review of the quarterly MDS assessment dated [DATE] revealed Resident #7 was cognitively intact. Interview on 01/27/25 at 3:50 P.M. with Resident #7 revealed voting was important to her and the facility did not provide assistance or opportunities for with voting in recent elections. 3. Review of the medical record for Resident #47 revealed an admission date of 12/22/22. Diagnoses included diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Review of the annual MDS assessment dated [DATE] revealed Resident #47 was cognitively intact. Interview on 01/27/25 at 8:36 A.M. with Resident #47 revealed voting was important to her and the facility did not offer assistance or provide opportunities for voting in recent elections. Interview on 01/27/25 at 12:27 P.M. with Activity Coordinator (AC) #500 verified residents were not assisted or offered the opportunity to vote in recent elections. AC #500 reported she was unaware providing assistance to residents with voting was her duty and further stated she did not know the Page 1 of 2 365279 365279 01/30/2025 Merit House LLC 4645 Lewis Ave Toledo, OH 43612

F 0550 facility policy related to voting. Level of Harm - Minimal harm or potential for actual harm Interview on 01/27/25 at 4:14 P.M. with AC #510 revealed an individual came to the facility in approximately September 2024 and requested entrance to assist residents with voting. The individual had credentials from the board of elections. AC #510 stated she was not sure if a non-employee could just walk around the building, so she discussed the situation with the previous facility Administrator, who denied the individual entrance into the facility. AC #510 confirmed residents were not provided any assistance or opportunities to vote, with the exception of one resident who sought out assistance with an absentee ballot. Residents Affected - Few Review of the facility policy titled Federal and Ohio Residents Rights and Facility Responsibilities, dated October 2019, revealed residents had the right to exercise their civil rights and arrangements must be made to allow the residents to exercise their right to vote. This deficiency represents non-compliance investigated under Complaint Number OH00161624. 365279 Page 2 of 2