Delayed Meal Service Due to Dishwashing Backlog and Plate Shortage
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that resident meals were served in a timely manner, as required by posted mealtimes and resident needs. Multiple observations during kitchen visits revealed significant delays in dishwashing, with breakfast dishes remaining unwashed late into the morning and a backlog of dirty dishes waiting to be cleaned. These delays contributed to late meal service, as evidenced by lunch trays being delivered well after the scheduled lunch time on several occasions, including meals being served in Styrofoam containers due to a shortage of clean plates. Staff interviews confirmed that meal delivery was consistently late, with one resident reporting that dinner often arrived between 6:30 pm and 8:00 pm, despite the posted supper time of 4:30 pm. The Dietary Supervisor acknowledged responsibility for ensuring timely meal service and attributed the delays to issues with the dishwasher and insufficient dry plates for the next meal. The facility had recently purchased additional dinner plates, but this measure had not resolved the ongoing delays. The deficiency had the potential to affect 184 of 203 residents who received an oral diet, as timely meal service was not consistently maintained according to residents' needs, preferences, and posted schedules.