Failure to Honor Dietary Preferences for a Resident
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident with a physician's order specifying a renal diet with no onions was served a meal containing onions. The resident's admission record indicated a diagnosis of hypertension, and the Minimum Data Set showed intact cognition and a need for assistance during eating. Despite clear documentation in the physician's order and on the meal ticket that onions were not to be included, the resident's meal tray was observed to contain salisbury steak with brown gravy and slices of onions. During the observation, the Infection Preventionist Nurse confirmed that the meal ticket indicated no onions and acknowledged that the resident should not have received onions, as the resident did not like them and would likely not eat the meal. The DON also reviewed the physician's order and stated the importance of not serving onions to the resident. The facility's policy required that residents be offered food options that meet their nutritional needs and preferences, but this was not followed in this instance.