Deficiencies in Food Service Safety Standards
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain food service safety standards in the main kitchen and two resident unit nourishment rooms. In the main kitchen, the dishwashing machine's temperature display panel and the floors beneath it were found to be soiled with food particles or dirt. Additionally, the storage area for clean pots, pans, and food containers had multiple containers stacked together that were not thoroughly dried, resulting in moisture accumulation. In the A-Unit nourishment room, the refrigerator door gaskets were soiled with food particles, while in the B-Unit nourishment room, both the refrigerator and the floor were soiled with food particles or dirt. During interviews, the Food Service Director acknowledged that maintaining cleanliness is a joint effort between the nursing staff and kitchen staff. They admitted that the cleaning schedule and checklist for the unit's nourishment areas did not include the gasket area, which contributed to the oversight. Furthermore, the director noted that the dishwasher was not reaching the proper temperature for sanitizing, necessitating repairs. Although the maintenance director had repaired the dishwasher, the area was not cleaned afterward, leading to the observed deficiencies.