Contributed by Cindy K. Manjounes, MHA, EdD, Lindenwood University. Complaints from residents have started to surface regarding availability and selection of items on the menu. Residents on restricted diets as well as vegetarians have limited choices. The facility offers a nonselective menu, but, to the extent possible, accommodations are made. Recently, meal hours have been reduced because of staff shortages in the dietary department. The administrator was invited to this months resident council meeting in which some residents became emotional, and the councils president stated, We used to look forward to meal times, but things have gone downhill. The hours have been cut and we are rushed through the meals. Some of us are thinking about moving to another facility even though we like the nurses here. They are really caring. We have heard that the home has a new food service manager. This person needs to straighten things out before we all leave. Attendance in the dining room has dropped because residents have started to request in-room meal delivery so they can take the time to eat their meals. Some CNAs have been grumbling about the extra work they have to do to deliver meals and pick up afterwards. Questions 1. Identify the main issues that need to be addressed. What may have caused these problems? 2. Prioritize the issues based on their potential impact on the residents, staff, and the facility. ( This part of the question requires impact of issues on each: resident, staff and facility) 3.How should the administrator go about addressing the issues
