Failure to Uphold Resident Dignity and Rights During Meal Service and Beverage Requests
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to uphold residents' rights to dignity and self-determination by serving meals on disposable paperware and plasticware to all residents on one unit, and by not providing appropriate assistance to a resident with cognitive and communicative deficits during mealtime. Observations revealed that all desserts were served in disposable plastic cups with lids, and some residents received plastic utensils. One resident with Alzheimer's, dementia, and a cognitive communicative deficit was observed eating with her fingers despite having plastic utensils, and staff did not intervene to assist or redirect her. The resident's clinical record did not document any recent behaviors necessitating the use of disposable utensils, and the facility could not provide evidence of such behaviors. Additionally, another resident with a history of falls, macular degeneration, diabetes, and depression was denied a request for ice by a licensed nurse, who stated that the resident was not allowed to have ice, despite there being no clinical restrictions documented in the resident's record. The unit manager confirmed that there were no restrictions on ice or beverages for this resident. These actions and inactions demonstrate a failure to provide care and services that enhance residents' dignity and respect their rights.