Failure to Provide Palatable and Properly Tempered Meals
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that meals provided to residents were palatable, attractive, and served at safe and appetizing temperatures. Multiple concerns were documented in food committee and resident council meeting minutes, including complaints about the taste and quality of specific menu items, requests for more juice options, issues with overcooked rice, requests for fresh fruit, reports of sour milk, insufficient food portions, and food not being hot when served. Residents also reported not receiving requested double portions, snacks not being available when requested, and dietary staff not accurately reading meal tickets. One resident stated she sometimes received foods she disliked despite making requests, and another reported not receiving meat with a meal. Observations of food temperatures during meal service revealed that while initial temperatures in the kitchen were high, the temperatures of food on test trays delivered to residents were significantly lower, with some items only warmish and not at preferred temperatures. Interviews with residents confirmed that meals were frequently served cold, leading some residents to not eat their food. The facility's policy required hot foods to be palatable at the time of delivery, but evidence from observations, interviews, and meeting minutes indicated that this standard was not consistently met. The deficiency affected three identified residents and had the potential to impact 56 residents who received food from the kitchen, excluding those identified as nothing by mouth.