Culture Matters in Dining (Colorado)

A community in Colorado was recently cited with F803 Menus and nutritional adequacy, due to not providing foods that met the ethnic, religious, and cultural needs of the residents in the community. One of the residents had dementia and had significant weight loss along with poor food consumption. Upon review, the surveyors found that the community did not incorporate cultural foods into their planned meals. The resident in question did not like the food that was being served and would often tell staff to have her family bring her the foods that she was used to at home and throughout her life. Working with the community, the dietitian assisted in incorporating cultural foods into the planned menus. A couple of weeks after the survey was completed, the nursing and dining staff noticed that the resident was gaining weight and that she was much happier receiving the foods she loved.