Failure to Consistently Offer Snacks to Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that snacks were consistently offered to residents after dinner and before bed, as required by policy and resident needs. Resident interviews revealed that snacks were not always offered, and some residents had to request snacks rather than being proactively offered them. One resident with cerebral palsy, chronic kidney disease, and bipolar disorder, who required assistance with activities of daily living and set-up for meals, reported not always being offered snacks despite sometimes wanting one. Observations confirmed that while signage indicated snack times and available options, the process for distributing snacks relied on residents requesting them or being on a specific list. Staff interviews further indicated inconsistency and lack of clarity regarding the snack distribution process. Dietary staff delivered snacks based on a list provided by the dietician or nursing, but residents not on the list, including those who were bedbound, needed to ask for snacks. Nurse aides reported varying practices, with some not offering snacks to each room and others unsure of the policy. The administrator confirmed that staff were responsible for offering snacks but also stated that residents needed to request them. The facility's policy required snacks to be offered at bedtime and upon request, but the actual practice did not ensure all residents were proactively offered snacks as required.