Failure to Promote Dignity During Meal Assistance
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to assist two residents during meals in a manner that promoted dignity, as required by facility policy and resident rights. One resident with hemiplegia, dementia, and memory problems required partial or moderate assistance with eating, while another resident with profound intellectual disability and dysphagia was totally dependent for eating. Both residents' care plans specified the need for supervision or total assistance during meals. Observations revealed that staff members, including a regional consultant and a CNA, fed these residents while standing beside them rather than sitting, as required by facility policy. In one instance, a staff member was feeding two residents at the same time, alternating between standing and sitting, due to a lack of available chairs and the need to assist multiple residents simultaneously. The Director of Nursing confirmed that staff are expected to sit while assisting residents with meals, and the facility's policy states that residents should be fed one at a time with staff seated next to them.