Failure to Provide Timely and Appropriate Meals for Dialysis Resident
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that meals were provided at regular times and did not consistently provide required meals to a resident on dialysis. Specifically, a resident with a physician's order for bagged breakfast and lunch to be sent with him on dialysis days reported that the facility did not consistently send lunch, and sometimes an aide would make one, but this was infrequent. Staff interviews confirmed that only one meal, lunch, was typically sent, and not both breakfast and lunch as ordered. The Treatment Administration Record was initialed to indicate a lunch was sent, but there was no confirmation that both meals were provided as required. Additionally, observations and staff interviews revealed inconsistencies in meal service times, with lunch trays being delivered and served outside of the scheduled meal times. There were also issues with meal components, such as not having enough pears for trays, which were to be sent out later. These practices failed to ensure that meals and snacks were served in accordance with residents' needs, preferences, and requests, and did not meet the requirements for providing suitable and nourishing alternatives for residents who needed to eat at non-traditional times.