Nursing facilities must provide special eating equipment and utensils to residents who need them to maintain or improve independent eating and drinking, and must ensure staff competently assist those residents in using the devices during meals and snacks. Surveyors review care plans, assess whether recommended adaptive equipment is available and in use, and observe staff assistance practices.
View official sourceF810 (Rev. 173, Issued: 11-22-17, Effective: 11-28-17, Implementation: 11-28-17) §483.60(g) Assistive devices The facility must provide special eating equipment and utensils for residents who need them and appropriate assistance to ensure that the resident can use the assistive devices when consuming meals and snacks. GUIDANCE §483.60(g) The facility must provide appropriate assistive devices to residents who need them to maintain or improve their ability to eat or drink independently, for example, improving poor grasp by enlarging silverware handles with foam padding, aiding residents with impaired coordination or tremor by installing plate guards, or specialized cups. The facility must also provide the appropriate staff assistance to ensure that these residents can use the assistive devices when eating or drinking. For concerns regarding the use of other types of assistive devices, such as postural supports for head, trunk and arms, please see guidance under F676 and F677 for ADL care and services. PROCEDURES §483.60(g) Review sampled residents’ comprehensive assessment and plan of care for their capacity/ability to eat independently: • Determine if recommendations were made for adaptive eating equipment and utensils. If they were, determine if these utensils are available and utilized by residents. • If recommended but not used, determine if this is by resident’s choice. • If eating equipment and utensils are not being utilized, determine when these were recommended and how their use is being monitored by the facility and if the staff is developing alternative recommendations and monitoring ongoing assessments. • Observe whether staff competently assists residents who use assistive devices.