Insufficient Dietary Staffing Leads to Delayed Meal Service
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide sufficient support personnel to safely and effectively carry out the functions of the food and nutrition service. Observations and interviews revealed that meal trays were frequently delivered late to residents' rooms, with some meals arriving up to an hour past scheduled times. Multiple residents reported receiving their meals late, with specific instances of dinner being served as late as 7:30 pm or 8:00 pm, and breakfast trays arriving at 9:00 am, outside of the scheduled meal times. Residents also reported that food often arrived cold and that late meal service caused them to miss scheduled activities. Interviews with the Dietary Manager and Assistant Dietary Manager confirmed ongoing staffing shortages, including six vacant positions in the Dietary Department. They acknowledged that being short staffed, particularly on weekends and at lunch time, contributed to the delays in meal service. The Dietary Manager also noted that a cook leaving during dinner service further exacerbated the issue. These factors directly led to the facility's inability to provide timely meal service to residents receiving room trays.