Failure to Provide Resident's Requested Food Preferences
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when the facility failed to honor a resident's documented food preferences and dietary needs. The resident, who had heart disease and anemia, had a food preference list indicating a request for peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches at lunch and dinner due to difficulty chewing meat and intolerance to spicy foods. Despite this documented preference and repeated requests from both the resident and her responsible party, the sandwiches were not provided. Observations confirmed that the requested sandwich was not present on the resident's meal tray, and the meal ticket did not reflect her preference. Staff interviews revealed that dietary staff were aware of the request but did not fulfill it, and nursing staff were not informed when the dietary department failed to provide the requested food item. The Dietary Manager stated that resident preferences were updated quarterly and that a sign was placed in the kitchen to remind staff of the resident's request, but the sandwiches were still not provided as required. The Registered Dietitian was not made aware of the resident's inability to tolerate the regular menu items, and the Director of Nursing indicated that communication between dietary and nursing staff was lacking. The deficiency was identified through record review, observation, and interviews with the resident, responsible party, and staff.