Meal plans

Meal plans hold dated rates by ward type. Each plan has a start and end date, a meal rate and a minimum meal count. The Property Manager uses those records when planning the service period, then records the selected rate per meal on the patient-linked order. A plan is a pricing record; the order carries the actual patient, ward, interval and requested count.

Suppose the next ward service period starts after a plan’s end date. The Property Manager checks the plan calendar for a rate covering the new dates before creating the order. The ward type should match the intended ward, and the requested count should be considered against the plan’s minimum meals. Finance later reads the order’s recorded rate and linked charge amounts when reviewing the bill.

• Source identity. Confirm the linked order and its patient and ward before acting on a related record.
• Current work. Use the relevant status, date and assignee to identify what needs attention today.
• Evidence. Keep the charge, receipt or completed task associated with the order that caused it.

Agree who maintains dated plans and when a new rate takes effect. Check ward type, start date, end date, meal rate and minimum meals before accepting an order based on that plan. The Property Manager checks the applicable plan and records the selected rate on the order. If the plan changes later, review affected Requested orders individually.

Decide how staff handle a plan with overlapping dates for the same ward type. The service interval and the plan interval must be compared in the same local date convention. Keep the plan’s identifier available for discussion, while using the order’s recorded rate per meal when reconciling a specific case.

Take one ward type and two adjacent plan periods. The Property Manager opens the calendar, checks the dates and minimum meals, then enters a Requested order for a patient and ward in the applicable period. Compare the rate per meal on the order with the selected plan’s meal rate. If the order crosses a plan boundary, agree the rate before acceptance rather than assuming a silent recalculation.

Now change the plan rate for a later period. Inspect the pending order again before approving it, and leave already served orders understandable from their own recorded rate and charges. The Front Desk Agent can view the plan dates during a handoff but the Property Manager owns plan changes.

• Meal plan calendar — Compare plan start and end dates, ward type, meal rate and minimum meals.
• Meal order queue — Inspect the recorded rate and interval on orders awaiting service.

See the working process for the record handoffs and the data model for the references behind them.