Failure to Honor Resident Meal Choices
Summary
The facility failed to provide Resident #2 with his/her meal choices. Resident #2 was admitted with diagnoses including end stage renal disease, diabetes, and severe protein-calorie malnutrition. The resident had intact cognition, a poor appetite several days a week, required no assistance with eating, and was on a renal diet with a renal supplement ordered daily. The care plan included offering substitutes as available, and the nutrition documentation noted that food preferences should be honored as appropriate. The record showed that Resident #2 repeatedly requested a chef salad for dinner and also requested bagged lunches on certain days. A diet requisition form documented the chef salad request, and the resident later stated he/she had called the kitchen many times for a chef salad, but sometimes received it and other times did not. The resident reported that kitchen staff sometimes said they had already prepared salads, did not have lettuce, or did not bring the requested item. The resident also stated that nurse aides told him/her they could not call the kitchen on the resident’s behalf, and that the resident felt discouraged from calling because kitchen staff gave attitude or seemed upset. Interviews and record review showed that the resident’s preferences were not consistently captured or acted upon. The dietitian stated she had only spoken with the resident once on admission and was not aware the resident had been requesting to see her. She also stated the resident could have a chef salad daily as long as it did not include tomatoes, but the meal tracker did not identify chef salad as a preference. The food service director stated she had recently started and had not found notes showing the prior food service director met with the resident to discuss likes and dislikes. The district food service manager stated that if a resident requests a chef salad and it is allowed on the diet, the resident should receive it regardless of the time requested, and that nursing staff or the resident could call the kitchen for a meal choice. The DNS stated she was not aware the resident was not receiving the requested chef salad and said the dietary director was responsible for making sure residents were seen and receiving their choices.
Penalty
Resources
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