Food Service Sanitation and Hand Hygiene Deficiencies
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to maintain sanitary conditions in food service areas, as evidenced by improper labeling and storage of food items and inadequate hand hygiene practices. An opened and undated container of vanilla ice cream was found in the nourishment freezer, with staff unable to identify which resident it belonged to. This was confirmed by a Certified Nursing Assistant, indicating a lack of adherence to facility policy requiring all food items in the nourishment refrigerator to be labeled with the resident's name and date. Additionally, during meal tray preparation, a dietary staff member was observed touching her neck, face, and side of her head multiple times with an ungloved hand and then continuing to prepare meal trays without performing hand hygiene. The Certified Dietary Manager confirmed that staff are required to perform hand hygiene after touching their face or body before returning to food preparation or serving. These actions were not in accordance with the facility's policies on handling, serving, and transporting foods, cleaning and sanitation, and hand hygiene.