Failure to Provide Required Meal Assistance
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident who required assistance with eating was not provided the necessary help by facility staff during a meal. Observation showed another resident feeding the affected resident, stating that if she did not help, no one else would. The resident in question had a history of muscle weakness, hand contractures, dysphagia, and moderate cognitive impairment, and her care plan specifically indicated the need for assistance with feeding at meals. Multiple records, including progress notes and nutritional assessments, confirmed her ongoing need for meal assistance due to her physical limitations and recent decline in self-feeding ability. Interviews with staff revealed that assistance was not consistently provided, with one CNA stating she only helped after distributing trays and that the resident's family member usually provided the help. The DON acknowledged that while staff are responsible for meal assistance, there was an assumption that family members would be present to help during mealtimes. Facility policy emphasized the importance of providing competent and respectful care for activities of daily living, including eating, but this was not followed in the observed instance.