Failure to Obtain Resident Input and Provide Consistent Nourishing Bedtime Snacks During 15‑Hour Meal Interval
Penalty
Summary
The facility implemented a new meal schedule that created a 15‑hour interval between the evening and morning meals for all dining locations, with dinner times ranging from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM and corresponding breakfast times from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM. Resident Council minutes documented the new schedule and indicated that a flyer explaining the change was distributed by the Activities Director; however, a resident council member reported that residents were only informed of the new mealtimes and were not given the opportunity to vote on or approve the 15‑hour gap. The resident stated they would have voted against the change if given the option and indicated that snacks were put out but residents had to ask for them. Multiple residents reported inconsistent access to evening snacks, with one resident describing snack availability as “hit and miss” and stating staff sometimes said there were no snacks, and another resident reporting they had to ask for snacks but never received them because staff said they were out. The Dietary Manager stated that CNAs and residents could request snacks at the kitchen door and that snack trays were placed out after breakfast and again at night, but acknowledged uncertainty about whether staff went room to room, particularly for bedbound residents. The Activities Director and Activity Aide described snack offerings from an activities cart during the day and evening and mentioned a stocked refrigerator accessible at night, while the Administrator stated that CNAs and activities staff were supposed to offer snacks and water after dinner, with no documentation of the evening snack pass. The Registered Dietician reported she was not informed of the 15‑hour gap between dinner and breakfast and was unaware that a nourishing snack was required when the interval between meals exceeded 14 hours. The facility later indicated its snack policy was under revision.
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