Failure to Maintain Resident Dignity During Mealtime Assistance
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a registered nurse (RN) assisted a resident with severe vascular dementia and significant cognitive impairment by feeding her while standing next to her in the dining room. The facility's policy on meal assistance specifically requires staff to feed residents in a manner that maintains their dignity, including not standing over them while assisting with meals. The resident, who required supervision or touch assistance with eating but had no range of motion limitations, was observed being fed by the RN who remained standing, contrary to both facility policy and the resident's care plan. During interviews, the RN acknowledged standing while feeding the resident and recognized it as a dignity issue, explaining she did so to monitor other residents. Both the Administrator and the Director of Nursing confirmed that staff are expected to sit next to residents while feeding them, as standing is considered undignified and potentially intimidating. The incident was identified through observation, record review, and staff interviews, confirming a failure to uphold the resident's right to dignity during mealtime assistance.