Failure to Provide Palatable and Properly Tempered Meals
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food and drink provided to residents were palatable, attractive, and served at safe and appetizing temperatures. Multiple residents reported dissatisfaction with the quality and temperature of their meals. One resident, with a history of nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage, pneumonia, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and dementia, stated that the chicken was too hard to chew and cold, resulting in her not eating it. Another resident with carcinoma of the rectum, cirrhosis of the liver, abdominal pain, urinary retention, and severe protein-calorie malnutrition reported that the food tasted bad. A third resident with a history of lumbar compression fracture, osteoporosis, and malignant neoplasms of the breast and pancreas described the food as terrible. A test tray sent to the Dementia Unit revealed that food temperatures were not within appropriate ranges, with items such as cottage cheese and milk being served below recommended temperatures, and hot foods like chicken, mashed potatoes, and noodles also being served at suboptimal temperatures. The chicken was found to be hard and chewy, and the noodles were clumped and cold. The Dietary Shift Leader confirmed that the food temperatures were not appropriate and that the chicken was difficult to eat. Facility meeting minutes indicated ongoing resident concerns about warming plates not being effective, and the Food Service Director was unable to provide additional documentation for other months. The facility's policy required meals to be well-seasoned and palatable, which was not met at the time of the survey.