Failure to Provide Proper Pureed Diet
Summary
The facility failed to prepare food in a form designed to meet individual needs for a resident on a pureed diet. The resident, who had a diagnosis of dysphagia, was served food that did not meet the International Dysphagia Diet Initiative (IDDSI) Level 4 standards. Specifically, the resident was given bread soaked in milk, oatmeal with lumps, and scrambled eggs that were not smooth and pureed, which did not comply with the required texture for a pureed diet. The deficiency was identified during an observation and interview with the dietary staff, where it was revealed that the cook did not follow the recipe for pureed foods. The dietary supervisor confirmed that the cook failed to blend the foods as required, resulting in the resident receiving food that was not safe for their swallowing difficulties. The registered dietitian and speech-language pathologist both emphasized the importance of adhering to the IDDSI Level 4 standards to prevent potential harm to residents with swallowing impairments. The resident involved had a history of swallowing problems and was on a pureed diet as per physician's orders. The facility's policy and procedures required that pureed foods be smooth, free of lumps, and meet specific testing requirements, which were not followed in this instance. The failure to adhere to these standards posed a risk of choking and aspiration for the resident.
Removal Plan
- The Registered Dietitian (RD) provided an in-service to [NAME] 2, [NAME] 3, and Dietary Aide 1 (DA 1) regarding food preparation of IDDSI Level 4 foods.
- The RD provided an in-service and competency test to the Dietary Supervisor (DS) regarding puree food consistency to meet IDDSI Level 4 standards. The DS provided supervision to the dietary staff to ensure a blender was used on pureed foods for dinner service to meet IDDSI Level 4 standards. The RD verified the DS's competency through return demonstration and the RD acknowledged the DS to be competent in providing in-services to the dietary staff.
- The DON assessed Resident 214 for signs and symptoms of respiratory distress and for presence of food particles in the oral cavity and there were no issues found.
- The DON provided an in-service to Licensed Vocational Nurse 1 (LVN 1) on food texture and consistency based on IDDSI Level 4 standards. The DON verified LVN 1's competency through return demonstration by observing and verbalizing the correct texture of puree diets using IDDSI Level 4 standards.
- The Infection Preventionist (IP) and the Minimum Data Set Coordinator (MDSC) checked all residents receiving pureed food to ensure proper consistency and texture for lunch and dinner meals. The licensed nursing staff will continue to check meal trays for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on an ongoing basis for proper puree consistency and texture of food.
- The DS checked the puree food items for proper texture and consistency per IDDSI Level 4 standards using the spoon tilt test and fork drip test. The DS will continue this process until six (6) months.
- The ADM, the RD, and the DS examined the process of food preparation and food distribution for all residents on puree diet to ascertain and confirm food items that did not pass IDDSI Level 4 standards would not be given to the residents and will be remade.
- The DON assessed the residents on puree diet for signs and symptoms of respiratory distress and ensured aspiration precautions were maintained for the residents on puree diet. The DON reviewed and revised the care plans as necessary.
- The Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) assessed the residents on pureed diet for signs and symptoms of respiratory distress and aspiration.
- The SLP provided an in-service to the dietary staff and the nursing staff on the risk of eating food that was not properly pureed per physician's order, choking hazards, what signs and symptoms to monitor, and what consistency and texture of a pureed diet should look like.
- The RD provided an in-service and competency test to [NAME] 1, [NAME] 2, DA 1, DA 2, and DA 3 on how to puree foods following the recipes and IDDSI Level 4 standards. The RD provided an in-service to six (6) of seven (7) dietary staff. [NAME] 4 was scheduled to attend an in-service.
- A qualified RD will be supervising the DS for a period of one (1) month or until such time the RD determined the DS to be competent to supervise the workflow of the dietary staff and kitchen. At such time, if it is determined that the DS is not competent, the ADM will replace the DS with a qualified and competent DS.
- A Spanish version of the menu and recipe will be obtained by the ADM as soon as applicable.
- The RD provided another in-service to the licensed nursing staff on testing the puree diet per IDDSI Level 4 standards.
- The DS or licensed nurse will test the pureed foods on the menu per IDDSI Level 4 standards with a fork and spoon tilt test after the in-service training. The in-service training and competency test started. Training would continue until all licensed nursing staff and dietary staff have been completed.
- The assigned designee for testing the puree foods will be the Station 2 charge nurse when the DS is not available such as on weekends, holidays. The 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift Station 2 charge nurse will be in-charge for breakfast, the 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift Station 2 charge nurse for lunch, and the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Station 2 charge nurse for dinner.
- A pureed food adherence tool titled Puree Texture Checklist was used for breakfast to ensure food on the menu are prepared using a blender per IDDSI standards. The Puree Texture Checklist will be used for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including weekends and holidays.
- The RD checked the snacks for the residents on puree diets which included blended yogurt, apple sauce, and pudding. No other snacks would be provided by staff to residents on puree diet except snacks approved by the RD.
- The RD will conduct weekly Quality Assurance (QA) rounds in the kitchen to monitor meal tray accuracy including pureed food texture based on IDDSI Level 4 standards. The results of the audit will be presented to the Quality Assessment and Assurance (QAA) committee monthly and at a minimum of quarterly for further action planning and monitoring as necessary. The benchmark for compliance will be 100 percent (%) for a period of three (3) months.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
A resident with dementia, dysphagia, and muscle weakness had a physician order for a chopped texture diet, but was served unchopped quiche and matzoh balls during a meal. The family member reported this happened often and said they had to chop the resident's food themselves, while the DON and DFD confirmed the resident should have received the correct texture and that some items were not chopped before being sent to the unit.
Failure to Follow Ordered Texture Diet: A resident with dysphagia and an ordered puree/liquified diet received sponge cake instead of the prescribed texture. The resident later developed N/V, SOB, and possible aspiration after eating non-pureed food, requiring ED evaluation via 911. The DM confirmed the wrong texture was served, and the DON/ADON acknowledged that diet orders were not followed.
A resident with a dysphagia puree diet order was served a regular consistency roll at lunch. An NA buttered the roll and gave it to the resident in the dining room until a surveyor intervened and had it removed; the NA acknowledged the resident should not have received it.
Incorrect Diet Texture Served to a Resident with Dysphagia: A resident with severe cognitive impairment, dysphagia, and malnutrition was ordered a mechanical soft diet with thin liquids, but staff served meals with incorrect textures, including whole asparagus, thick-cut bacon, and a whole hard-boiled egg. The NA said she was new and did not know the resident’s diet needs, while dietary staff said the meal tickets and food preparation were inconsistent and that some items were not prepared to the ordered texture.
A resident with severe cognitive impairment, dementia, and malnutrition did not receive diet care consistent with the ARNP’s orders. Staff failed to transcribe updated orders for honey-thick liquids and specific feeding instructions into the EMR/Kardex, the resident continued receiving a nectar-thick supplement, and staff were observed feeding and assisting the resident from the wrong side instead of the ordered right side.
Failure to Serve Ground Meatloaf for Mechanical Soft Diets: The facility did not serve ground meatloaf as listed on the menu extension sheet for residents on mechanical soft diets. During tray line service, a dietary staff member stated there was no ground meatloaf because she had been told the meatloaf was mechanical soft friendly. The DM and RD agreed with that interpretation, while the ST stated mechanical soft meats are typically ground and that the affected residents should have received ground meatloaf.
Resident on chopped diet received unchopped meal items
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident with a physician-ordered chopped texture diet received food prepared in the correct form. The resident had diagnoses including dementia, dysphagia, and muscle weakness, and care plan interventions called for diet and food consistency per physician order, along with assistance and monitoring during meals. The physician order required no concentrated sweets, chopped texture, and thin liquids, and a speech language pathologist note documented that the resident continued to tolerate a chopped diet with thin liquids. On the dinner meal in question, the resident was served a slice of quiche and matzoh balls in soup that were not chopped, despite the chopped diet order. The resident's family member stated they often had to chop the resident's food themselves and reported that the unchopped meal was shown to an LPN. The Director of Food Services confirmed the resident was on a chopped texture diet and received unchopped quiche and matzoh balls, and stated these items were not chopped before delivery to the unit because kitchen staff did not chop certain foods to preserve their structure and presentation. The DON stated nursing staff must ensure residents on mechanically altered diets received the appropriate textured food, and the LPN stated they would chop food upon request but could not recall whether they assisted with this meal.
Failure to Follow Ordered Texture Diet
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident with dysphagia received food prepared in the ordered texture. Resident 1 was admitted with multiple diagnoses, including dysphagia, and the MDS indicated difficulty swallowing and a mechanically altered diet. The resident’s OSR listed a liquified texture diet, and the care plan directed staff to follow the diet/MD order. Despite these orders, the resident received sponge cake, which was not the prescribed puree-type texture. The physician progress note documented that the resident had been sent to the ED via 911 after nausea, vomiting, and possible aspiration following ingestion of non-pureed food. The note stated the resident developed nausea/vomiting and shortness of breath after consuming pound cake with raisins despite being on a strict pureed diet due to dysphagia, and was noted to have spitting up mucus and vomiting, raising concern for aspiration. The Dietary Manager confirmed the resident received a different texture than ordered, and the ADON acknowledged that all diet orders were expected to be followed and confirmed the resident’s prescribed diet was not followed.
Inappropriate Food Texture Served to Resident on Puree Diet
Penalty
Summary
Food was not provided in a form designed to meet an individual resident’s needs when Resident #111, who had an order for a regular diet with dysphagia puree texture and thin liquids, was served a regular consistency roll at lunch. The resident’s diet order also included fortified cereal at breakfast, fortified soup at lunch and dinner, and a two-handled cup with lid for meals. During a dining room observation, Nurse Aide #64 served the resident’s lunch tray and buttered a regular roll for the resident. Before the resident ate it, the State surveyor intervened and had the nurse aide remove the roll. Nurse Aide #64 confirmed the resident was on a puree diet and should not have received a regular roll, stating, “Yeah, you’re right,” and that she did not think it looked right.
Incorrect Diet Texture Served to Resident with Dysphagia
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a severely cognitively impaired resident with dysphagia received the ordered mechanical soft diet texture. The resident had diagnoses including oropharyngeal phase dysphagia and moderate protein-calorie malnutrition, and the record showed she was edentulous with dentures not available during a prior hospital SLP evaluation. The SLP documented oral holding and prolonged oral transit with puree solids and thin liquids, and later recommended a mechanical soft diet with thin liquids, small bites and sips, slow rate, and supervision while eating. During observation, the resident was served meals that did not match the ordered texture. At lunch, the tray contained a whole soft dinner roll, ground turkey chili with beans over cream of rice, and whole asparagus spears; the resident attempted to eat the asparagus but was unsuccessful. At breakfast, the tray contained a large slice of thick cut bacon and a whole hard-boiled egg with only a small area of teeth indentation. The meal tickets indicated mechanical soft textures, but the foods served did not match the ordered diet texture for the resident. Interviews with nursing and dietary staff showed confusion and inconsistency in how the diet order was interpreted and prepared. The NA who delivered the trays stated she was new and did not know the resident required a mechanical soft diet or that certain foods needed to be ground or mashed. The Dietary Manager stated the facility did not offer a mechanical soft ground diet, did not know why the ticket reflected that notation, and was not aware that asparagus should have been chopped or that the hard-boiled egg needed to be mashed. The SLP, RD, DON, NP, and Administrator all stated the resident should have received the correct mechanical soft texture, and staff acknowledged that the incorrect textures were served on both observed meals.
Failure to Follow and Transcribe Ordered Therapeutic Diet
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to serve the appropriate therapeutic diet for Resident #5 according to the resident’s diet order. Resident #5 had a BIMS score of 1, indicating severe cognitive impairment, and diagnoses including Alzheimer’s disease, non-Alzheimer’s disease, and malnutrition. The resident’s MDS documented a mechanically altered diet, and the care plan directed staff to provide the diet as ordered and monitor for signs and symptoms of aspiration or difficulty swallowing. A diet order dated 4/13/26 directed a regular diet with pureed texture and nectar-thick fluids, and a progress note dated 7/2/26 documented new physician orders and feeding instructions for honey-thick liquids, positioning on the resident’s right side, giving a drink after each bite, and continuing the pureed diet. The resident’s record was not updated to reflect the new physician orders and feeding instructions in the physician order tab or Kardex. The July 2026 MAR listed a mighty shake as nectar-thick, and the resident received the nectar-thick supplement from 7/2/26 through 7/20/26. On 7/21/26, surveyors observed thickened water with a lid and straw in the resident’s room, and the DON verified it was nectar consistency. Later that morning, Staff B provided one-on-one feeding assistance while sitting on the resident’s left side instead of the right side ordered by the ARNP, and Staff C also sat on the resident’s left side while assisting with the mighty shake. The DON acknowledged staff did not transcribe the 7/2/26 physician orders to the electronic medical record.
Failure to Serve Ground Meatloaf for Mechanical Soft Diets
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure ground meatloaf was served for residents on mechanically altered diets according to the menu extension sheet. The lunch menu for 07/22/26 listed homemade meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, and California blend vegetables, and the menu extension sheet specified that the mechanical soft meatloaf should be ground using a #10 scoop with one ounce of gravy, while pureed meatloaf and vegetables had separate serving sizes. During observation of the lunch tray line, the dietary staff member plating the meals stated there was no ground meatloaf for the mechanical soft diets because she had been told the meatloaf was mechanical soft friendly. Review of the diet type report showed four residents received a mechanical soft diet and one resident received a regular diet with ground meat. The Dietary Manager and Registered Dietitian stated the meatloaf was considered mechanical soft friendly even though the menu extension indicated it should be ground for the mechanical soft diet. The Speech Therapist stated that for mechanical soft diets, meats were typically ground, that meatloaf was considered a formed food unless cut up, and that residents on a mechanical soft diet should have received ground meat. She also verified that four residents she knew needed ground meat and confirmed that the resident she did not know received a mechanical soft diet and should have received ground meatloaf per the menu extension sheet.
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