Before feeding, what should you verify on the meal tray?

Before feeding, what should you verify on the meal tray?

• A. Check the name and diet on the meal tray to ensure it matches the resident.
• B. Feed from any tray you receive.
• C. Ignore the tray label.
• D. Replace the tray with your preferred meal.

Answer: (A)

The key safety step before feeding is to verify that the meal tray belongs to the resident and matches their prescribed diet. Checking the resident’s name on the tray confirms you’re feeding the right person, while checking the diet or meal type ensures the tray aligns with the resident’s ordered diet (such as regular, diabetic, soft/pureed, or any texture or salt restrictions). This prevents feeding the wrong person or giving an inappropriate meal, which can lead to health issues or allergies. If there’s any mismatch, you should not feed the resident and should alert the nurse to get the correct tray. Never feed from a tray just received, ignore the label, or replace it with your own preferred meal, as that would jeopardize safety and care.

The key safety step before feeding is to verify that the meal tray belongs to the resident and matches their prescribed diet. Checking the resident’s name on the tray confirms you’re feeding the right person, while checking the diet or meal type ensures the tray aligns with the resident’s ordered diet (such as regular, diabetic, soft/pureed, or any texture or salt restrictions). This prevents feeding the wrong person or giving an inappropriate meal, which can lead to health issues or allergies. If there’s any mismatch, you should not feed the resident and should alert the nurse to get the correct tray. Never feed from a tray just received, ignore the label, or replace it with your own preferred meal, as that would jeopardize safety and care.