Failure to Provide Appropriate Table Height for Resident with Physical Limitations
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when the facility failed to provide an appropriate table height in the dining room for a resident with significant physical limitations. The resident, who was cognitively intact and required assistance with activities of daily living due to hemiparesis, hemiplegia, severe kyphosis, and other conditions, was observed eating with the tabletop at chin height while seated in a wheelchair. As a result, the resident placed her plate on her lap to eat, as the table was too high for comfortable or safe dining. Staff were observed placing the plate on the table, but the resident consistently moved it to her lap, indicating ongoing difficulty. Interviews with staff revealed that they had not noticed the resident's adaptation of placing the plate on her lap, and the resident reported having asked for the table to be lowered but was told it could not be adjusted further. The facility's policy required that tables be adjusted to accommodate wheelchairs and ensure appropriate positioning at mealtime, but this was not achieved for the resident. The director of nursing acknowledged that more should have been done to improve the resident's dining experience, but the table's adjustability was limited.