Failure to Follow Menus and Provide Required Meal Components
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to follow the posted lunch menu as required, resulting in residents receiving meals that did not match the planned menu. During observation of the lunch service, trays were found to include an egg roll, chicken nuggets, green beans, banana pudding, juice, and water, but lacked the required fried rice or any substitute starch. There was also no posted menu or substitution list available in the dining room. The Dietary Manager confirmed that the menu should have included fried rice and oriental vegetables, but these items were not served. The Dietary Manager was unaware of why the rice was not included and noted that the vegetables served were green beans instead of the specified oriental vegetables. Further investigation revealed that rice was not available in the dry storage room, and food invoices showed no documentation that rice had been ordered for several delivery dates. The staff member responsible for preparing the meal stated she did not prepare fried rice due to the lack of rice and did not use an alternative starch, as she was concerned it might be needed for another meal. She also did not contact the Dietary Manager for guidance on substitutions. The facility's policy requires menus to meet nutritional needs, be posted, and substitutions to be made with nutritionally equivalent items, but these procedures were not followed during the observed meal service.