Failure to Promote Resident Dignity During Feeding Assistance
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a resident with dysphagia and oropharyngeal swallowing difficulties was not provided care in a manner that promoted dignity and respect during mealtime. During an observation, two CNAs assisted the resident with breakfast while the resident was in bed. One CNA fed the resident while standing next to the bed, rather than sitting at the resident's eye level. The CNA acknowledged that she was taught to sit while feeding residents to promote dignity but did not do so because there was no chair available in the room. Interviews with staff, including another CNA, the Director of Staff Development, and the Director of Nursing, confirmed that the facility's expectation and policy require staff to sit at the resident's eye level when providing feeding assistance. The facility's policy on meal assistance specifically states that residents should be fed with attention to safety, comfort, and dignity, and not while standing over them. The failure to follow this policy resulted in care that did not honor the resident's right to dignity.