Failure to Follow Pureed Diet Recipe During Meal Preparation
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that the menu and recipes were followed when preparing pureed spaghetti for residents requiring a pureed diet. During observation, a cook was seen preparing seven servings of pureed spaghetti by measuring and blending the spaghetti with hot water but did not add margarine and non-fat dry milk powder as specified in the facility's recipe. The cook confirmed during an interview that these ingredients were omitted and acknowledged that the recipe required their inclusion. Review of facility documents showed that six residents were receiving pureed food from the kitchen, and the facility's policies required food to be prepared according to recipes to conserve nutritive value and meet residents' needs. The Dietary Services Supervisor (DSS) also confirmed that the cook should have followed the recipe when preparing pureed food. The failure to follow the recipe had the potential to result in meals that did not meet the nutritional needs of residents on a pureed diet.