Incompetent Feeding Technique by Nurse Aide
Penalty
Summary
A nurse aide failed to demonstrate competency in feeding assistance for a resident with significant care needs. The resident, who had diagnoses including dysphagia, lack of coordination, muscle weakness, and severely impaired cognition, was dependent on staff for eating. A staff member was observed feeding the resident while holding the resident's food dish on her lap, rather than using the over-bed table that was available in the room. This technique was captured in a video provided by the resident's family member, who expressed concern about the feeding method. The Director of Nursing reviewed the video and confirmed that the feeding technique was inappropriate and constituted an infection control issue. Additional observations of other residents receiving meal assistance showed that trays were properly placed on over-bed tables. The facility did not provide a policy specific to staff assistance with meals but did provide a blank CNA skills checklist that included feeding residents. The incident involving the improper feeding technique was not consistent with observed practices for other residents and was acknowledged by facility leadership as unacceptable.