Question: DIETITIANS' FAILURE TO MEET DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
Health care organizations must provide each patient with a nourishing, palatable, wellbalanced diet that meets the daily nutritional and special dietary needs of each patient. Failure to do so can lead to negligence suits. The daughter of the deceased in Lambert v. Beverly Enterprises, Inc. 10 filed an action claiming that her father had been mistreated. The notice of intent to sue indicated that the deceased suffered various injuries and malnutrition as a direct result of the acts or omissions of dietary personnel and that the plaintiff's father suffered actual damages that included substantial medical expenses and mental anguish because of the injuries he sustained. A motion to dismiss the case was denied.
Ethical and Legal Issues
1. Identify the ethical issues in this case.
2. How might the dietitians' professional ethical code have been violated in this case?