Failure to Follow Approved Menu and Provide Appropriate Food Substitutes
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide food items as specified by the approved menu for residents on both regular and puree diets. On the specified date, residents on a regular diet were supposed to receive chili and beans, garden salad with dressing, cornbread, and carrot cake, with mixed vegetables and noodles as alternate items. However, the garden salad was not served due to improper temperature, and mixed vegetables were substituted. When mixed vegetables ran out, noodles were served instead, without consulting the Registered Dietitian (RD) or supervisor. The dietary aide admitted to frequently running out of food and plating whatever was available without notifying supervisors or seeking guidance for nutritionally equivalent substitutes. The RD and Administrator confirmed that noodles were not an appropriate substitute for mixed vegetables and that the dietary aide should have waited for an appropriate substitute. Additionally, residents on a puree diet did not receive puree bread or a substitute, as required by the menu. The RD confirmed that no puree bread was available for the meal, and the dietary aide did not notify supervisors about the missing item. It was later revealed that puree bread had been prepared but was not delivered to the appropriate hall. The Administrator acknowledged that residents on a puree diet did not receive bread as specified by the menu. These failures affected multiple residents on one unit and were confirmed through observations, record review, and staff interviews.