Sanitary Conditions Not Maintained in Food Service
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food was prepared and served under sanitary conditions, as required by professional standards for food service safety. During an observation in the main kitchen, several food items, including American cheese, scones, Danish pastries, apple pie, blueberry pie, and a bag of brownie mix, were found open to air and undated. This was confirmed by an interview with the Executive Chef, who acknowledged that these items should have been covered and dated according to the facility's policy on food and nutrition services. Additionally, an observation in the kitchenette revealed that a Nurse Aide entered the area without wearing a hairnet, which is a violation of the facility's policy requiring employees to wear appropriate hair restraints. This was confirmed in an interview with the Nursing Home Administrator, who acknowledged that the Nurse Aide should have been wearing a hairnet while in the food preparation area. These findings indicate a failure to adhere to the facility's established protocols for maintaining sanitary conditions in food service areas.
Plan Of Correction
All food products identified as open to air and undated were immediately discarded. This includes one-quarter pound of American cheese, 15 scones, 6 Danishes, 1 apple pie, 1 blueberry container, and 1 brownie mix. Nurse Aide 3 has since been removed from duties and dismissed from Redstone. A facility-wide sweep of all food storage areas and pantries was conducted to ensure proper storage. All issues identified were corrected at the time of discovery. The System Food Service Director and dietary staff were re-educated on the proper storage of food products. The System Food Service Director, dietary and nursing staff was re-educated on proper food handling and PPE etiquette. The System Food Service Director or designee will conduct audits to ensure proper storage of all food products, weekly X4 weeks, monthly x2 months. The Director of Nursing Assistants (DNA) or designee will conduct spot-check compliance audits to ensure proper food handling and personal protective equipment (PPE) etiquette during meals weekly X4 weeks, monthly X2 months. Identified Issues are addressed at the time of discovery. Audit results are reported to the Quality Assurance Performance Improvement committee to identify trends and further opportunities for quality improvement and needs for additional education/re-education.