Unqualified Culinary Services Director Overseeing Nutrition Services
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that, in the absence of a full-time registered dietician (RD), the culinary services director (CSD) was certified to oversee nutrition and food services. The CSD had been in the role for two years but was not a certified dietary manager (CDM) and had not completed the required course, only enrolling in it after the survey began. The part-time RD worked only one or two days a week and communicated with the CSD remotely, acknowledging that the CSD was inexperienced with resident clinical issues such as monitoring weights. The facility's job description for the CSD required graduation from or current enrollment in an approved culinary services course, which was not met at the time of the survey. This deficiency had the potential to affect all 45 residents receiving meals from the kitchen.