Failure to Assess Residents and Verify Staff Training in Paid Feeding Assistance Program
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that residents receiving paid feeding assistance were properly assessed for appropriateness and that staff providing this assistance were adequately trained. One resident required one-person total assistance with eating and was observed being assisted by a recreation therapist, who claimed to have received paid feeding assistant training. However, the staff member was unable to provide a valid training certificate, and the facility could not locate documentation confirming completion of the required training. Another resident, who had documented swallowing difficulties and required thickened liquids, was also receiving paid feeding assistance. Review of the resident's records showed no documentation of an assessment to determine if they were appropriate for the paid feeding assistance program, despite facility policy requiring such an assessment for residents with complicated feeding problems, including swallowing difficulties. Interviews with facility staff revealed a lack of awareness regarding responsibility for completing these assessments, and the Director of Nursing confirmed that the resident did not meet the criteria for the program and that no assessment documentation existed. Facility policy stated that only residents without complicated feeding problems should be considered for the paid feeding assistant program and that only appropriately trained staff should provide this assistance. The lack of assessment and training documentation for both residents and staff led to the deficiency, as residents with special dietary needs and risks were assisted by staff whose qualifications could not be verified.