Care Plans Not Updated for Diet Changes, Weight Gain, and Eating Assistance Needs
Summary
The facility failed to ensure the comprehensive care plan was reviewed and revised by the interdisciplinary team for two residents. One resident had a care plan that still reflected a mechanical soft diet and weight loss-related interventions even though the current order was for limited concentrated sweets, no added salt, regular texture, and thin liquids, and the resident had documented weight gain. Another resident had a care plan that identified a 1-person assist for eating, but it did not reflect that the resident ate with her fingers and refused assistance with eating. For the first resident, the record showed diagnoses including autism disorder, type 2 diabetes mellitus, adult failure to thrive, dysphagia, generalized muscle weakness, unspecified protein-calorie malnutrition, and reduced mobility. The MDS reflected moderate cognitive impairment, weight gain, and a therapeutic diet. The care plan continued to list nutritional risk related to malnutrition and weight loss, along with limited concentrated sweets, no added salt, mechanical soft texture, and thin liquids, even though the order summary showed regular texture and thin liquids and the nutritional risk assessment documented weight gain and recommendations related to excessive energy intake. For the second resident, the record showed diagnoses including Alzheimer’s disease and anxiety disorder, with severe cognitive impairment on the quarterly MDS and substantial/maximal assistance needed for eating. During observations, the resident was seen eating lunch with her fingers, emptying food onto the table and scooping it with her fingers, and later alternating between using a spoon and her fingers, including eating pudding with her fingers only. Staff interviews confirmed that the resident was supposed to be assisted with eating but often refused help, and multiple staff stated that eating with fingers and refusal of assistance should have been care planned. The care plan, however, did not reflect those behaviors or preferences.
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