Failure to Provide Palatable Food and Correct Menu Items
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide food that was palatable and prepared according to resident preference for one resident, and failed to serve the correct menu item for another. One resident did not eat her chicken at lunch because it was not prepared as she requested; she had marked her meal ticket for plain, well-done chicken, but the chicken served lacked grill marks, appeared undercooked, and did not meet her texture and appearance preferences. The Director of Dining Services confirmed that the chicken was not prepared as requested and acknowledged the deviation from the resident's preference. Another resident, who was unable to select her own food, was served mashed potatoes with chicken and yellow gravy instead of the chicken and penne pasta with red sauce that was marked on her meal ticket. Staff interviews revealed that the dietary staff served mashed potatoes because the resident generally eats them well, but the selected pasta dish was available and should have been served. Continued observation confirmed that the resident was not provided with the selected pasta dish during the meal service.