Failure to Provide Bedtime Snacks Between Evening Meal and Breakfast
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that nourishing snacks were provided to residents when there was a 15-hour gap between the evening meal and breakfast on all three nursing units. According to the facility's policy, bedtime snacks are to be provided to all residents, with the dining services department responsible for assembling and delivering snacks to each unit, and nursing services responsible for offering these snacks to residents. However, interviews with residents during a council meeting revealed that snacks were not being offered at bedtime, and residents reported feeling hungry later in the evening after eating dinner at 4:45 p.m. Further interviews with dietary and nursing staff confirmed that while night snacks were prepared and delivered by dietary staff, it was unclear whether nursing staff were actually offering them to residents. The established meal schedule showed that dinner was served as early as 4:45 p.m. and breakfast was not offered until 7:45 a.m. the next day, resulting in a 15-hour interval without a substantial meal or snack. This failure to provide snacks as required by policy and resident needs was observed on all three nursing units.