Failure to Serve Meals at Safe and Appetizing Temperatures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food and drink were palatable, attractive, and served at a safe and appetizing temperature for multiple residents. One resident with end stage renal disease, anxiety disorder, and heart failure, who was on a renal diet with regular texture and large portions and was independent with eating, reported that he ate in his room at the end of the hall and that his food was cold. Another resident with major depressive disorder, dementia, and anemia, who was on a regular diet with regular texture and typically ate in the dining room, stated that her food was cold. Both residents had moderately impaired cognition per their BIMS scores and no documented weight loss, and their care plans and dietary profiles reflected regular or renal diets with regular textures and preferences for meals. A third resident with degenerative disease of the basal ganglia, altered mental status, and a history of transient cerebral ischemic attack, who had moderate cognitive impairment and an ADL self-care performance deficit, was ordered a regular diet with regular texture and consistency and reported always eating in her room. She stated that all three of her daily meals were served cold and that receiving cold food made the meals unpalatable, despite generally enjoying their taste. During an interview, the Dietary Manager stated that no residents had informed her that meals were served cold. The facility’s policy on Daily Food Temperature Control, dated 2012, stated that the facility would assure that food is served at a safe temperature, but resident interviews indicated that this was not consistently achieved.
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