F0677

E

Failure to Provide Timely Meal Assistance and Scheduled Showers

Canton, Ohio Survey Completed on 03-24-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide timely assistance with meals to dependent residents and to provide showers according to the established schedule. One resident with dementia, difficulty walking, chronic kidney disease, anxiety, and on hospice required substantial/maximal assistance for eating and was dependent for all other ADLs. Over the prior month, this resident’s meal intake declined from 26–50% to 0–25%, and then to not eating. On the observed morning, the resident was seated in the dining room at 8:53 A.M., breakfast trays arrived at 9:15 A.M., and her uncovered tray was placed in front of her at 9:32 A.M., but staff did not sit to assist her until 9:58 A.M. The CNA then offered food and drink, and the resident consumed about 10–20% of the meal; the CNA did not offer to reheat the food.

Another resident with cerebral atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial disease with intermittent claudication, and adult failure to thrive had impaired cognition, required setup or clean-up assistance with eating, and was dependent for all other ADLs. The care plan for weight loss or malnutrition included encouragement to eat, recording meal intake, and providing supplements. On the observed morning, this resident’s uncovered breakfast tray was placed in front of him at 9:35 A.M., and the CNA did not begin assisting until 9:53 A.M. The resident took one bite and then did not want to eat more, and the CNA did not offer to warm the food or provide an alternative. A third resident with hypertension, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease had impaired cognition, was dependent for eating and all ADLs, and had a care plan requiring setup, cueing, reminders, and assistance with feeding. This resident’s uncovered meal was placed in front of her at 9:35 A.M., and the CNA did not assist until 9:53 A.M.; the CNA did not offer to warm the food. The resident ate toast with encouragement but refused further eggs after the first bite.

Staff interviews confirmed that residents needing assistance with eating are brought to the dining room and must wait until aides finish serving meals on the unit, resulting in no set breakfast time other than around 9:30 A.M. and delays until about 10:00 A.M. before staff can sit to assist dependent residents. CNAs reported that only two staff are typically in the dining room to assist 13 residents at all meals, causing residents to wait and food to become cold. The facility’s Dining Room Service policy stated that meals will be served promptly to maintain adequate temperature and appearance and that adequate staff should be available to assist individuals who need help. Additionally, another resident with dementia, gait and mobility abnormalities, acute kidney failure, history of stroke, and cognitive communication deficit had a care plan indicating assistance with ADLs and a shower schedule on day shift Monday, Thursday, and as necessary. Review of shower documentation over several weeks showed only one shower per week on Thursdays, with no documentation of a second scheduled shower being offered or provided and no refusals recorded for the missed showers, despite the administrator confirming that all showers should be documented in the point-of-care records and being unable to locate additional documentation that showers were offered or provided per schedule.