Failure to Honor Resident Food Preferences
Penalty
Summary
A cognitively intact resident, as identified by a perfect score on the Brief Interview for Mental Status, reported being repeatedly served rice and corn despite having previously communicated his dislike for these foods to the Dietary Manager. The resident expressed frustration, stating he was tired of receiving food he did not like and threatened to stop eating facility meals if the issue persisted. The resident also noted that the last interaction with the dietitian occurred the previous year, indicating a lack of ongoing assessment of his food preferences. Review of the resident's meal tray card confirmed that his dislike for rice and corn was documented. However, the Registered Dietitian was unaware of these preferences and stated that her previous discussions with the resident focused on carbohydrate intake rather than specific food dislikes. A CNA corroborated that the resident had complained about being served rice and corn and explained that staff are expected to return unwanted food to the kitchen for alternatives when such preferences are noted. Facility policy requires periodic review and updating of resident food preferences, but this was not followed, resulting in the resident being served unwanted food items.