Failure to Provide Requested Meal Substitution
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that posted meal menus and resident meal requests were followed for a specific resident. Review of facility documentation showed that the resident had submitted a special request for a tuna melt as a replacement for the posted meal entrée on a specific date. Despite this documented request, the resident was served the standard menu items, which included pork, beans, bread, cake with strawberries, and cranberry juice, but not the requested tuna melt. The resident, who was determined to have decision-making capacity, confirmed during an interview that she did not receive the meal she wanted and indicated that this was not a frequent occurrence. Interviews with facility staff, including an LVN and the Dietary Supervisor, confirmed that the resident's special meal request was missed and not provided as planned. The facility's policy required that food preferences and special requests be documented and followed, but this was not adhered to in this instance. The DON also verified the findings during a subsequent interview.