Insufficient Dietary Staffing Led to Delayed Meal Service
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to provide sufficient personnel in the kitchen to ensure timely meal service to residents. On one occasion, the last food cart for lunch arrived on a unit at 3:50 p.m., and the last lunch tray was served at 4:10 p.m., which was significantly later than the scheduled meal times. Staff interviews confirmed that the kitchen was understaffed on that day, resulting in delayed meal delivery. The account manager for dietary acknowledged that the observed delays were not acceptable and that residents should not have to wait for their meals. The facility's policy requires that at least three daily meals be provided at regular times comparable to normal community mealtimes. However, observations and staff interviews indicated that the kitchen did not have enough staff to meet this requirement, leading to delays in meal service. Administrative staff were made aware of these findings, and no additional information was provided prior to the survey exit.