Failure to Provide Meal According to Resident Preference and Timely Service
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident with chronic kidney disease, gallbladder calculus, and obesity with limited mobility did not receive a meal according to their documented dietary preferences and physician orders. The resident was on a 2 gram sodium diet with regular texture and thin fluids, and had expressed to staff that salt and milk caused gastrointestinal symptoms. Despite this, the resident continued to receive food items containing milk or that were salty. On the date in question, the resident requested scrambled eggs, penne pasta, and a dinner roll with butter for lunch, but was instead served garlic herb pork loin, garlic mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables, which did not match the requested or ordered meal. The resident refused the meal and requested a personal soup kit, but this was not provided in a timely manner. Staff interviews revealed that the nurse aide responsible for serving the meal only verified the resident's name and room number, not the specific meal choice, before serving the tray. The aide acknowledged that the resident reported not receiving the correct meal but did not contact the kitchen to obtain an alternate meal as requested. The soup kit requested by the resident was not prepared or served even two hours after the initial request, as the aide was occupied with other duties. The facility was unable to provide policies regarding the provision of meals according to resident preference or the verification of resident meal choices.