Failure to Honor Resident Food Preferences
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to honor a resident's documented food preferences, resulting in the resident repeatedly receiving breakfast items she disliked, specifically hot cereal and grits. The resident, who was cognitively intact according to her most recent MDS assessment, had an undated preference sheet indicating a dislike for grits and hot cereal and had communicated her preference for yogurt to both dietary and nursing staff on multiple occasions. Despite these communications, observations on two separate mornings confirmed that she continued to receive the unwanted food items. Interviews with staff revealed ongoing issues with tracking and honoring residents' food preferences. The nurse interviewed stated she had relayed the resident's concerns to dietary staff but could not recall to whom. The Dietary Manager acknowledged problems with the facility's meal program software, which contributed to the inability to consistently provide residents with their preferred food items. The DON was unaware of the issue, and the Administrator reported that no concerns had been brought to her attention, despite the resident's repeated complaints.