Failure to Provide Dignified Feeding Assistance
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a volunteer was observed providing feeding assistance to a resident with dementia and dysphagia in the memory care unit dining room. The volunteer stood while feeding the resident and intermittently attended to another resident, rather than providing dedicated one-to-one assistance. The resident's care plan and physician orders specified the need for one-to-one feeding assistance, aspiration precautions, and that the resident should remain upright in a chair during feeding. The Director of Nursing confirmed that the facility's expectation is for staff to sit with residents while providing one-to-one feeding assistance and to avoid assisting more than one resident at a time to maintain dignity. Facility policy also directs staff not to stand while feeding residents. The observed actions did not align with these expectations or the resident's care plan, resulting in a failure to provide feeding assistance in a dignified manner.
Plan Of Correction
ELEMENT 1 Resident R15 still resides in the facility and continues to be assisted with feeding by staff and/or volunteers that have been reeducated to stay seated while assisting to feed as well as only assisting one resident at a time. ELEMENT 2 Residents that reside in the facility have the potential to be affected. An audit was done on residents residing in the facility that require assistance with meals to ensure they are being assisted by a staff member and/or volunteer that remains seated and only assisting one resident at a time. Any areas of deficiency at the time of the audit will be corrected immediately. ELEMENT 3 The Resident Rights policy was reviewed by the DON and the Administrator and deemed appropriate. The staff and volunteers were reeducated on remaining seated while assisting residents with eating as well as assisting one resident at a time. ELEMENT 4 The DON and/or designee will conduct random audits 2 times a week for 2 months to ensure that staff and/or volunteers are staying seated while assisting residents with meals as well as only assisting one resident at a time. Any areas of deficiency at the time of the audits will be corrected immediately, and the results of these audits will be presented at the facility's QAPI for further recommendations and/or corrective actions. ELEMENT 5 Date of compliance 06/27/2025. The Administrator and/or designee will be responsible for sustained compliance.