Failure to Prepare Palatable and Properly Textured Meals
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified that the facility failed to prepare both pureed and regular food in a manner that conserved nutritive value, flavor, texture, and appearance for three residents. During a test meal observation, the pureed okra was found to be too thick, and the regular pinto beans were excessively salty. The dietary manager confirmed these findings, stating that the cook did not use enough broth for the pureed okra and did not taste the food before serving. The dietary manager attributed the errors to the cook being nervous due to the surveyor's presence and preparing additional trays for taste testing. The facility's policy requires food to be prepared to preserve or enhance nutrition and hydration, and to follow standardized recipes and preparation methods that conserve nutritive value, flavor, and appearance. Interviews with the three residents involved, all of whom had intact cognitive abilities and various medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, dysphagia, chronic kidney disease, cerebrovascular disease, and neuropathy, confirmed that the pinto beans served were very salty. The dietary manager acknowledged that the excessive salt could impact residents' blood pressure, and that the thick consistency of the pureed food was due to not following the correct preparation method. The facility's own food preparation guidelines were not followed, resulting in food that was not palatable or prepared according to policy.