Failure to Provide Adequate and Appropriate Eating Utensils for Meals
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide adequate and appropriate eating utensils and special eating equipment to residents during meals, as required by facility policy. Surveyor observations on the morning of 01/22/26 showed CNAs passing breakfast trays that contained only a metal spoon, with no additional silverware or utensils present or offered. Later that morning, a dietary aide was observed transporting 15–20 meal trays on an open cart, each tray containing only a plastic spoon placed on a folded brown paper towel next to the covered plate. Interviews with dietary staff revealed there was an ongoing shortage of metal silverware, resulting in plastic utensils being used for at least half of the residents’ trays for each meal. Staff also reported the kitchen had been out of napkins since 01/20/26 and was using folded brown paper towels from a hand towel dispenser instead, and that the facility sometimes ran out of juice cups. One dietary aide stated there had been a shortage of silverware and utensils for at least six months. Review of the facility’s policy titled "Use of Disposable Dishes/Flatware" indicated that resident meals were to be served using reusable dishes and flatware. Multiple residents with varying diagnoses and functional statuses reported and demonstrated that they frequently did not receive appropriate utensils with their meals. Cognitively intact residents on regular, mechanical soft, carbohydrate-controlled, or no concentrated sweets diets, some requiring set-up assistance and others independent with eating, stated they often received only a spoon, sometimes plastic utensils, and at times no utensils at all. Examples included residents reporting receiving only a spoon to eat meat or salad, receiving plastic utensils for about half of their meals, and occasionally having to eat with their fingers. During each of these interviews at lunchtime on 01/22/26, observations confirmed that the residents’ trays contained only a metal spoon. The administrator later confirmed that residents should receive appropriate silverware for all meals, consistent with facility policy. This deficiency represents non-compliance investigated under Complaint Number 2693876.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
Failure to provide ordered adaptive eating utensils during meals. A resident with Parkinson's disease and trembling hands was observed self-feeding with a shaking hand while food dropped onto clothing and the floor. The meal ticket listed buildup utensils, and the OT confirmed the physician had ordered weighted utensils with meals due to tremor, but the utensils were not on the tray. The RNA and DD both stated the resident should have received the adaptive utensils with meals.
A resident with vascular dementia, muscle weakness, and tremors, who was care planned and had MD orders for foam-handled utensils, a suction lip plate, and a two-handled cup with lid at all meals, was repeatedly observed in the dining room without this adaptive equipment on lunch trays. On multiple occasions, the suction lip plate and foam utensil handles were missing, and at another meal the foam handles, suction lip plate, and two-handled cup with lid were all absent. The DON acknowledged that the resident should have received all ordered adaptive eating equipment at every meal.
A resident with muscle weakness, dizziness, vertigo, and impaired ambulation was ordered weighted utensils and a two-handled cup with all meals, and the care plan and meal ticket both reflected those needs. During lunch observation, the resident was not provided the ordered weighted utensils, and the RD confirmed the adaptive dining equipment was not provided as ordered.
A resident with Parkinson’s disease, polyneuropathy, muscle weakness, and documented weight loss was care planned and ordered via diet tickets to receive adaptive equipment, including a divided plate, plate guard, and sippy cup, to support self-feeding. During a lunch meal observation, the resident, who had shaky hands and required supervision/touching assistance with eating per MDS, was given regular drinking cups and a divided plate without a plate guard, contrary to the meal ticket and nutritional risk reviews. The resident reported being unable to hold the regular cups, and staff (a CNA, an LN, the RD, and the Administrator) acknowledged that the adaptive devices should have been provided in accordance with the meal ticket, care plan, and facility policy on self-feeding devices.
A resident with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, DM, anxiety, documented weight loss, and risk for malnutrition had a care plan and meal ticket specifying adaptive equipment, including a lipped plate and heavy weight built-up silverware. During a breakfast observation, the resident was served regular silverware instead of the ordered built-up utensils, reported that staff did not listen when she requested them, and was seen having difficulty eating with a regular spoon. A CNA and the DON both confirmed that the resident was supposed to receive built-up utensils per the care plan and meal card, but these were not provided.
Failure to Provide Ordered Special Eating Equipment: A resident with anemia, HTN, and hyperlipidemia had a physician order for a scoop dish for all meals, but staff observed the resident using a regular plate on the lunch tray on two occasions. NAs confirmed the meal ticket indicated a scoop dish was ordered and that the facility failed to provide it.
Failure to Provide Ordered Adaptive Eating Utensils
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure special adaptive eating equipment was provided during meals as ordered for one resident with Parkinson's disease and trembling hands. On April 20, 2026, during a concurrent observation and meal ticket review in the dining room, the resident was seen holding a spoon with the right hand shaking tremendously while feeding himself, and food particles were dropping onto the clothing protector and floor. The resident's meal ticket listed buildup fork, buildup knife, and buildup spoon, but these utensils were not on the meal tray. During a concurrent interview, the RNA stated the resident was missing the buildup fork, buildup knife, and buildup spoon and should have received buildup utensils to help with self-feeding. The OT later stated the physician had ordered weighted utensils with meals for the resident because of trembling hands, and that dietary staff should follow the order and provide the weighted utensils with meals. The Dietary Director also stated dietary staff should follow the meal ticket providing weighted utensils with meals, or the resident would have a hard time feeding himself and food would fall off the plate. The physician order dated October 23, 2024, specified weighted utensils with meals due to tremor, and the facility policy stated residents needing self-feeding devices should receive them with each meal or snack on their meal trays.
Failure to Provide Ordered Adaptive Eating Equipment at Meals
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide ordered adaptive eating equipment and utensils for a resident with vascular dementia, muscle weakness, and tremors. The resident’s care plan identified a risk for nutrition problems and specified the need for foam handles on utensils, a suction lip plate, and a two-handled cup with a lid for all meals. Physician orders directed staff to provide a two-handled cup with lid beginning in early September 2025 and to provide foam utensil handles and a suction lip plate beginning in early October 2025 with all meal trays. Despite these orders and care plan directives, multiple dining observations showed that the resident did not receive the required adaptive equipment. On two consecutive lunch observations, the resident’s tray did not include the suction lip plate or foam utensil handles, and on a subsequent lunch observation, the tray lacked the foam handles, suction lip plate, and the two-handled cup with lid. In an interview, the DON confirmed that the resident should have been provided with all of this adaptive equipment at every meal.
Failure to Provide Ordered Adaptive Dining Equipment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide required adaptive dining equipment for one resident out of 33 reviewed, Resident 188. The resident was admitted with diagnoses including muscle weakness and need for assistance with personal care. The comprehensive care plan dated April 3, 2026 identified ADL deficits related to weakness, dizziness, vertigo, and impaired ambulation, and included interventions for weighted utensils and a two-handled cup at all meals. Physician orders dated April 3, 2026 also directed that the resident receive weighted utensils and a two-handled cup with all meals. Review of the resident’s lunch meal ticket showed the same adaptive equipment was required. However, during observation of the resident’s lunch meal on April 15, 2026 at 1:18 PM, the resident was not provided the physician-ordered weighted utensils. During interview on April 15, 2025 at 1:25 PM, Employee 4, the Regional Dietary Director, confirmed the facility failed to provide the required adaptive dining equipment as ordered by the physician.
Failure to Provide Prescribed Adaptive Eating and Drinking Equipment
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide prescribed adaptive eating and drinking equipment to a resident during a lunch meal. The resident had diagnoses including Parkinson’s disease, polyneuropathy, and muscle weakness, and an MDS indicating moderately impaired cognition and a need for supervision or touching assistance with eating. The resident’s care plan and nutritional risk reviews documented a history of weight loss, weakness in hands and arms, and the ongoing need for a divided plate, plate guard, and sippy cup at meals. During an observation of a lunch meal in the resident’s room, the resident was seen with shaky hands and had not touched the lunch meal on the bedside table. The meal tray contained two full cups of reddish beverages in regular 8 fl oz cups and a small can of ginger ale with a straw. The resident had been provided a divided plate but was not provided a plate guard or sippy cups, despite the lunch meal ticket specifying adaptive equipment including a plate guard and sippy cup. In interviews conducted at the time of the observation, the resident stated she could not hold the regular cups because of her shaky hands and expressed a desire for a better cup to hold drinks more steadily without spilling. A CNA confirmed that the resident had not been provided a plate guard or sippy cups and acknowledged that, due to the resident’s shaky hands, these items should have been provided so she could eat and drink safely and properly. An LN stated that the meal ticket should have been followed and that the resident should have received the plate guard and sippy cups, noting that nurses normally check trays for completeness. The RD confirmed the resident’s weight loss and need for assistive utensils, stated there were no refusals or functional changes documented, and indicated the resident should continue to receive the plate guard and sippy cups with each meal. The Administrator stated an expectation that assistive utensils be provided when indicated on meal tickets, and facility policy specified that self-feeding devices such as plate guards are to be stored by Food & Nutrition Services and provided on meal trays for residents needing them. This failure had the potential to result in the resident not being able to properly and safely eat and drink and had the potential for nutrition and hydration problems.
Failure to Provide Ordered Adaptive Eating Utensils
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide prescribed adaptive eating equipment to a resident who required it. The resident, who had cerebral palsy and epilepsy and was at risk for malnutrition with documented weight loss over 180 days, had a comprehensive care plan initiated on 3/18/26 addressing nutritional problems related to multiple medical diagnoses, including epilepsy, DM, and anxiety. The care plan included an intervention, added on 4/6/26, for adaptive equipment consisting of a lipped plate and heavy weight built-up silverware. The resident’s breakfast meal ticket for 4/7/26 also specified "Built up utensils," indicating that these adaptive utensils were to be provided with meals. On 4/7/26 at 8:30 AM, the surveyor observed the resident eating breakfast with regular silverware instead of the ordered built-up utensils. The meal tray contained regular silverware despite the meal ticket indicating built-up utensils. The resident reported that she was supposed to receive built-up utensils and that when she asked staff for them, they did not listen to her. The surveyor observed the resident eating Fruit Loops with a regular spoon and having difficulty holding and using it. Later, a CNA confirmed that the resident should have built-up utensils per her care plan, and the DON also confirmed that the resident was to have built-up utensils during meals and that staff were expected to provide them according to the meal card. These observations and interviews show that the facility did not implement the care-planned intervention for adaptive eating equipment for this resident.
Failure to Provide Ordered Special Eating Equipment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide special eating equipment for Resident R35, whose physician orders dated 7/4/25 directed the resident to use a scoop dish for all meals. The admission record showed the resident was admitted to the facility on [DATE], and the MDS listed diagnoses of anemia, high blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia. During an observation on 3/23/26 at 12:40 p.m., Resident R35 was seen with a regular white plate on the lunch tray instead of a scoop dish, and NA E6 confirmed the meal ticket indicated the use of a scoop dish and that the facility failed to provide it as ordered. A second observation on 3/24/26 at 12:48 p.m. again showed Resident R35 with a regular white plate on the lunch tray, and NA E18 confirmed the meal ticket indicated the use of a scoop dish and that the facility again failed to provide the ordered equipment.
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