Deficiency in Menu Compliance and Nutritional Provision
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to prepare and serve food to residents according to the planned and dietitian-approved menu, affecting all 82 residents receiving oral diets. During a lunch service, a dietary aide served ground meals without bread to residents on mechanical soft diets, contrary to the menu which specified a ground hamburger on a bun. Additionally, the hamburger patties served were underweight, providing less than the expected 3 ounces of protein. The food service manager confirmed the discrepancy in protein content and stated that the dietitian had instructed not to serve bread to residents on mechanical soft diets. The dietitian confirmed that mechanical soft diets should include a soft piece of bread equivalent to the regular menu's bread servings. The dietitian also noted that the menu did not provide the expected 6 ounces of high-quality protein per day, as the hamburger patty, omelet, and ravioli servings were insufficient. The facility's menu policy requires that menus are followed as written to meet residents' nutritional needs, but the served menu did not meet these requirements. Further review of the facility's weekly menus revealed consistent shortages in servings of grains, breads, vegetables, and fruits across multiple days. The facility's meal pattern document specifies daily servings for these food groups, but the approved menus fell short of these requirements. This indicates a systemic issue in menu planning and execution, leading to inadequate nutrition for the residents.