Delayed Meal Tray Delivery Compromises Dignified Dining Experience
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a dignified dining experience for residents who dined in their rooms, as lunch trays for 15 out of 22 residents on the 300 South Cart 1 were not delivered in a timely manner. Observations showed that after the food cart arrived, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) waited by the cart and did not deliver trays to residents until nurses handed the trays to them. The lunch cart sat for approximately 15 minutes before the trays were distributed, resulting in a delay in meal service for the affected residents. Interviews with staff revealed that CNAs were not permitted to deliver trays until a nurse checked the consistency of the food with the meal ticket and physically handed the tray to the CNA. The Director of Nursing and a Registered Nurse confirmed this process, stating that only nurses could remove trays from the cart and that trays should be passed within five minutes of arrival. However, the observed practice led to a significant delay, impacting the residents' right to a dignified and timely dining experience.