Failure to Serve Meals Simultaneously at Dining Tables Compromises Resident Dignity
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain or enhance residents' dignity during meal service in the dining room. During an observation, a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) was seen distributing meal trays to residents at multiple tables and in resident rooms without completing service to all residents at one table before moving to another. As a result, one resident waited seven minutes to be served after the first resident at their table received a meal, and another resident at the same table inquired about their meal tray after experiencing a delay. The CNA explained that residents do not always arrive at the same time, making it difficult to align meal tray distribution, and acknowledged that the previous practice was to serve one table at a time. The Dietary Supervisor confirmed that the expectation is for all residents at a table to be served before moving to another table, and that residents typically sit at the same table. Facility policy and residents' rights documents both state that meals should be served at approximately the same time to all residents at a table to respect their dignity. The observed practice of serving residents at different times at the same table was inconsistent with these policies and procedures.