Failure to Provide Palatable and Properly Prepared Meals
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food and drink served to residents was palatable, attractive, and maintained at a safe and appetizing temperature. Multiple residents expressed dissatisfaction with the meals, citing issues such as lack of variety, poor seasoning, repeated menu items, and food being served cold or in unappetizing forms. During a Resident Council meeting, all participants voiced complaints about the food, including concerns about cold breakfasts, mushy and overcooked vegetables, lack of menu adherence, and insufficient snack and dessert options. Observations of meal service confirmed that some food items were bland, lacked flavor, or were not visually appealing, particularly the pureed options. Further investigation revealed that staff did not consistently follow standardized recipes for meal preparation. For the pureed garden meatloaf, staff cooked ingredients in a tilt skillet rather than baking as directed by the recipe, and for the regular garden meatloaf, breadcrumbs were added without measuring, and the recipe book was not consulted during preparation. Staff members declined to confirm whether recipes were being followed when questioned. These deviations from established recipes compromised the nutritional value and consistency of the meals served. Facility policies required adherence to residents' food preferences and the use of approved, standardized recipes to ensure meal quality and nutritional adequacy. However, the observed practices did not align with these policies, as residents' preferences were not consistently considered, and recipes were not properly followed. These failures had the potential to decrease residents' meal intake and contribute to weight loss, as noted by the surveyors.