MDS Alert

Question: Many of our residents request to eat their meals in their rooms. Do I record this on the MDS? If so, how?

South Dakota Subscriber

Answer: It depends. If any of the residents in question have been diagnosed with any swallowing disorders or any other conditions that necessitate supervision, then it’s important to note that on the MDS — and to make sure staff stick around to actually supervise the meal, even if the resident prefers to eat in his room.

Item G0110 (Functional Status) goes into the activities of daily living, and item G0110H (Eating) has a space for you to code the level of the resident’s self-performance, as well as the level of staff support. If you or a team member has coded 1 (Supervision) for this item — or any of the higher values that demonstrate greater need for assistance — and yet the resident eats alone in his room, your facility may be at risk of a citation from surveyors. Resident rights are important to uphold but promoting safety and mitigating risk are also crucial.

If a resident does have a swallowing disorder, you should evaluate the clinical record and the responses for Item K0100 (Swallowing Disorder) very carefully to make sure the resident is getting the support he needs while also allowing for his preferences to define the trajectory of his care and experience at your facility.