F0803

D

Failure to Follow Menus and Provide Required Food Items and Condiments

Tonawanda, New York Survey Completed on 02-26-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to follow posted menus and provide meals that met residents’ nutritional needs and stated preferences, as required by facility policy and national guidelines. The facility’s Food and Nutrition Services policy required that each resident receive a nourishing, palatable, well-balanced diet that meets daily nutritional and special dietary needs, with reasonable efforts to accommodate preferences, and that food trays be inspected to ensure the correct meal is provided. The Tray Identification policy required appropriate identification/coding for various diets and special considerations. The posted Fall/Winter Week 1 menu for the identified lunch specified stuffed shells (two each), Italian vegetables, a dinner roll, and pie, with an egg salad sandwich as the alternate, yet the kitchen did not prepare an adequate amount of the posted lunch meal to serve all residents.

Surveyors identified ongoing concerns from Resident Council notes and staff and resident interviews about food quality, availability, and accuracy. Resident Council notes from two consecutive months documented that food was out of stock, supplies were low, items were missing, and there were complaints about food quality (such as steak being hard to cut). Multiple residents reported not receiving condiments, receiving small portions, and being served cold and unappealing food. Nursing staff and CNAs corroborated that there were many resident complaints about food being inedible, cold, unappealing, and poorly presented, with food “slopped” on trays, condiments rarely provided despite being listed on meal tickets, and no use of bases under plates to keep food warm. Staff also reported that residents’ meal tickets often did not match what was provided on trays due to menu changes or lack of supplies, and that condiments and juices were not readily available on the units.

Direct meal observations and interviews on specific survey dates showed that residents did not receive items listed on their meal tickets and that the kitchen ran out of the main entrée. For breakfast, one resident’s meal ticket indicated jelly and apple juice, but their tray lacked both items, which the resident stated they would have liked. Another resident’s ticket indicated orange juice and jelly, but their tray lacked orange juice, jelly, and sugar; the resident’s oatmeal remained uneaten, and an LPN reported being told by kitchen staff that there was no jelly or juice available. Another resident reported not receiving stuffed shells with red sauce, orange juice, or sugar as expected and stated they minded. A further resident stated they hardly ever received what was on their meal ticket, were frequently told items had run out and were substituted, and reported that juices such as orange, cranberry, and apple juice were never provided, with powdered fruit punch being used instead.

During the observed lunch tray line, kitchen staff discussed that there were not enough stuffed shells and meat sauce to complete all resident trays, and the Dietary Supervisor acknowledged that not enough food had been pulled out. The kitchen ran out of stuffed shells before completing all carts, and the Clinical Dietician/Food Service Director stated that approximately twenty residents were unable to receive stuffed shells as posted on the menu. The alternate egg salad sandwich was also insufficient in quantity, leading staff to prepare breaded chicken patties on rolls without condiments or sauce as additional substitutions. Insulated plate bases were used as lids but did not fully cover plates. Dietary supervisors and the Food Service Director acknowledged that production sheets, which indicate required amounts and portions, were not properly used or understood, that counts of stuffed shells were not done, and that supplies such as orange juice, sugar packets, jelly packets, and Swiss cheese had run out or been used previously. The Administrator later stated that Food Service Directors should have recognized quantity changes when ordering and confirmed that residents should receive what is on the menu and all items listed on their meal tickets, and also noted issues with deliveries, wrong items, and misdirected shipments that were not communicated in time to prevent stockouts.