Failure to Accommodate Resident Meal Preferences
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident was served milk with his lunch meal tray despite having a documented dislike of milk. The resident had previously informed staff that he did not want milk served with his meals. During observation and interviews, it was confirmed by the Director of Staff Development, Certified Nursing Assistant, Certified Dietary Manager, and Director of Nursing that the resident's meal ticket clearly listed milk as a dislike, and that the resident should not have been served milk. The staff acknowledged that all CNAs and nurses were responsible for ensuring meal trays matched residents' preferences and that the tray should have been checked for accuracy before being served. As a result of receiving milk, the resident refused to eat lunch and missed out on the nutritional value of the meal. The facility's policy indicated that individual food preferences are to be assessed upon admission and communicated to the interdisciplinary team. The failure to accommodate the resident's documented meal preference led to the resident not eating his meal.