Failure to Honor Resident Food Preference for Snack
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to honor a resident's stated food preference, resulting in the resident not receiving her requested snack of cottage cheese. Despite the resident informing the dietitian of her preference for cottage cheese as a bedtime snack, she was only provided with fruit cups. Review of the resident's nutritional assessment and care plan confirmed that cottage cheese was listed as a food request, but all snack labels indicated only soft canned fruit. Both the Dietary Manager and Registered Dietitian acknowledged that there were no contraindications to providing cottage cheese and that the resident's preference should have been accommodated. The resident involved had a diagnosis of severe protein-calorie malnutrition and type 2 diabetes mellitus without complications, and was assessed as having intact cognitive function. The care plan and diet order supported the provision of a consistent carbohydrate diet with regular texture, and there was no clinical reason to deny the requested snack. Facility policy also required staff to accommodate resident food preferences and document them in the care plan, but this was not followed in the resident's case.