Minnesota Nursing Homes Must Provide Assistance with Eating for Residents who Require Help
Minnesota Nursing Homes Must Provide Assistance with Eating for Residents who Require Help

Assistance with Eating is a Requirement for Minnesota Nursing Homes

Pursuant to Minnesota Administrative Rule 4658.0530, ASSISTANCE WITH EATING, subpart 1. nursing personnel. Nursing personnel must determine that residents are served diets as prescribed. Residents needing help in eating must be promptly assisted upon receipt of the meals and the assistance must be unhurried and in a manner that maintains or enhances each resident’s dignity and respect. Adaptive self-help devices must be provided to contribute to the resident’s independence in eating. Food and fluid intake of residents must be observed and deviations from normal reported to the nurse responsible for the resident’s care during the work period the observation of a deviation was made. Persistent unresolved problems must be reported to the attending physician.

Additional Regulations Dealing with Eating Assistance for Residents

Subp. 2. Volunteers. Volunteers may assist residents with eating if the following conditions are met:

A. the nursing home has a policy allowing that assistance. The policy must specify whether family members are allowed to assist their immediate relatives with eating and, if allowed, what training is required for family members;

B. the resident has been assessed and a determination made that the resident may be safely fed by a volunteer, and that is documented in the comprehensive plan of care;

C. the resident has agreed, or an immediate family member, the legal guardian, or designated representative has agreed for the resident, to be fed by a volunteer;

D. the volunteer has completed a training program on assisting residents with eating, which, at a minimum, meets the training and competency standards for eating assistance contained in the nursing assistant training curriculum;

E. the director of nursing services must be responsible for the monitoring of all persons, including family members, performing this activity; and

F. there are mechanisms in place to ensure appropriate reporting to nursing personnel of observations made by the volunteer during meal time.

Subp. 3. Risk of choking. A resident identified in the comprehensive resident assessment, and as addressed in the comprehensive plan of care, as being at risk of choking on food must be continuously monitored by nursing personnel when the resident is eating so that timely emergency intervention can occur if necessary.

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney Kenneth LaBore has decades of experience and handles the following types of elder abuse claims and others:

Fall injury / Injuries

Medication Errors

Dehydration

Malnutrition

Physical Abuse

Infectious Disease

Sexual Abuse

Wandering & Elopement

Infectious Diseases (MRSA, C-Diff)

Elder Burn Injuries

Choking & Asphyxiation

Breathing Tube Care

Urinary Infections & Sepsis

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

Violation of Resident Rights

Nursing Home Suspicions

Patient Lift Injuries and Other Improper Use of Medical Equipment

Wrongful Death

For a Free Consultation to obtain information on how to hold negligent wrongdoers accountable from an experienced elder abuse attorney contact Minneapolis Elder Abuse Neglect Attorney Kenneth LaBore at 612-743-9048 or Toll Free at 1-888-452-6589, email: KLaBore@MNnursinghomeneglect.com.

Nursing Homes Must Provide Eating Assistance When Needed
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