Failure to Provide Consistently Available Alternative Menu Options
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that always available alternative food options were provided to residents as required. One resident with a renal diet and multiple complex medical conditions, including a stage 3 sacral pressure ulcer, extensive burns, and dependence on dialysis, reported that although an alternative menu existed, the items requested were consistently unavailable. This resident was cognitively intact and able to communicate these concerns directly. Another resident, with a pureed diet and double portions per SLP orders, also reported that the facility was frequently out of food items and did not request alternatives because he believed they would not be provided. This resident was moderately cognitively impaired. Interviews with facility staff confirmed that alternative menu items such as chicken strips and French fries were sometimes unavailable. The Regional Director of Operations/Interim Administrator acknowledged that while the alternative menu should be available from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, there were instances when certain foods were not in stock. Additionally, when the facility's policy regarding alternative menus was requested, no policy was provided. The facility's documented alternative menu included a variety of choices, but these were not consistently accessible to residents.