Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity During Dining Service
Penalty
Summary
During a lunch meal service in the dining room between the 400 and 500 hallways, surveyors observed that the facility failed to maintain resident dignity during dining. Multiple residents were seated at tables where not all individuals received their meals at the same time, resulting in some residents waiting while others began eating. Staff were seen assisting residents with eating without removing food items from the trays, contrary to facility policy. Additionally, staff referred to residents needing assistance as "feeders" in a loud manner that was audible to other residents and visitors, further compromising resident dignity. Interviews with staff confirmed that all residents at a table should be served simultaneously, food should be removed from trays before serving, and residents should not be referred to as "feeders." The facility's dining policy also specifies that plates, side dishes, and drinks should be removed from trays and placed on the table, and that domes, lids, and trays should be cleared away. The administrator stated there was no specific policy on dignity, but that the facility follows regulatory requirements.