Failure to Provide Required Adaptive Eating Utensils
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident with Parkinson's disease, who was cognitively intact and required specialized handled utensils for eating, did not receive the necessary built-up eating utensils during a meal. The facility's policy required adaptive devices to be provided for residents who need or request them, and documentation indicated that the resident used specialized utensils. Observation confirmed that the resident did not receive the required utensils with her meal tray, and staff interviews revealed this was due to a mistake, despite the computer system indicating the utensils should have been included. The Director of Nursing acknowledged the importance of providing these utensils to enable the resident to feed herself properly.