Failure to Care Plan for Resident’s Religious Dietary Restrictions
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a failure to develop and implement a comprehensive, person-centered care plan that included measurable objectives and timeframes to address a resident's religious dietary needs. The resident was an older female with a history of stroke affecting her vision, Asperger's syndrome, and diabetes, who used a wheelchair and required staff assistance with ADLs. Her quarterly MDS and care plan showed she was PASRR positive, and documentation from an IDT meeting indicated that her Kosher (Jewish) diet had been discussed. However, the care plan dated 12/27/25 contained no specific interventions or measurable goals related to her religious dietary restrictions, despite the facility's policy requiring the IDT, in conjunction with the resident, to develop a comprehensive person-centered care plan describing services to maintain the resident's highest practicable well-being. Interviews further demonstrated the lack of integration of the resident's religious dietary needs into the formal care plan. The resident reported that in the last few months she had begun returning to her religious roots and requested accommodations for a Kosher diet, clarifying she did not expect a Kosher kitchen but wanted her restrictions honored. The Dietary Manager confirmed that the resident had recently decided to follow a "Kosher light" diet, with no dairy on the same plate as meat, and described reviewing the 5‑week menu cycle with the resident to identify acceptable foods and alternatives. The Social Worker stated that care plans were developed through care plan and IDT meetings and that the MDS Coordinator typically created and maintained care plans, but there was currently no MDS Coordinator and she was unsure who was responsible for care plans; she was also unaware of the resident's religious beliefs. The DON acknowledged that although the resident's religious and dietary restrictions were discussed in an IDT meeting, no corresponding interventions were documented in the care plan and agreed there were no specific interventions in place to address the resident's dietary needs, noting that staff could only access the IDT meeting notes.
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