Failure to Provide Properly Pureed Food for Residents on Modified Diets
Penalty
Summary
During the lunch meal service, the facility failed to provide pureed food with a smooth, pudding-like texture as required for residents on a pureed diet. Observation in the kitchen revealed that the Dietary Manager (DM) prepared a pizza pasta bake by pureeing it, but the resulting product still contained bits of pasta and was not smooth. A sample tray tasted by surveyors and the DM confirmed that the pureed pizza pasta bake was chunky and did not meet the required consistency. The DM acknowledged that the food was not properly pureed and stated that she should have mixed it more to achieve the correct texture. The DM indicated that both she and the cook are responsible for ensuring pureed foods meet the required consistency. Record review showed that eight residents were ordered a pureed diet, and the facility's policy assigns responsibility for preparing and serving the correct diet and fluid consistency to the food service department. The deficiency was identified through observation, interview, and record review, specifically during the lunch meal service.