Failure to Provide Required Assistance with Meals
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide necessary assistance with meals for two residents who required help with eating, as observed and documented by surveyors. One resident, admitted with diagnoses including dysphagia, feeding difficulties, lack of coordination, and hemiplegia, was assessed as cognitively intact but required substantial to maximal assistance with self-feeding. Despite care plans indicating the need for feeding assistance and built-up silverware, this resident was repeatedly observed eating alone in bed, with food being spilled during attempts to self-feed. Staff interviews revealed a lack of awareness regarding the resident's care plan, with reliance on verbal instructions rather than documented interventions. Another resident, with severe cognitive impairment and dependence for all self-care activities, was also observed eating alone in bed without staff supervision or assistance, despite care plans specifying the need for supervision and assistance during meals. Staff interviews indicated that after meal setup, the resident was left to eat independently, contrary to the care plan requirements. The Director of Nursing confirmed that care should be provided as indicated in the care plans, but both residents did not receive the level of assistance documented as necessary for their conditions.