Failure to Provide Evening and Bedtime Snacks to All Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that evening and bedtime snacks were offered to all residents, as required by their own policy and federal regulations. Multiple residents reported during interviews and a Resident Council meeting that they had never received snacks, particularly after the kitchen closed in the evening. Staff interviews confirmed that snacks were only provided to residents with a physician's order, and that there were no snacks available for other residents after kitchen hours. The kitchen closed at 7 p.m. or 9:30 p.m., and there was no system in place for nursing staff to access or provide snacks outside of these hours. Residents expressed that they sometimes wanted snacks at night, but their requests were not accommodated. One resident with diabetes specifically reported not receiving her ordered bedtime snack, despite having a diagnosis that requires careful blood sugar management. The registered dietitians confirmed that snacks were only prepared for residents with physician orders, and that nurses were expected to provide these snacks if requested. However, both nursing and dietary staff indicated that there was no storage or process for providing snacks after kitchen hours, resulting in residents, including those with medical needs, not receiving snacks as ordered or requested. The facility's own policy stated that bedtime snacks should be routinely offered to all residents unless contraindicated, but this was not being followed.