Expired and Spoiled Food Found in Resident's Personal Refrigerator
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain a sanitary environment by not properly disposing of expired food in a resident's personal refrigerator. During an observation, surveyors found multiple expired food items, including a container of parmesan cheese, single-serve cups of chocolate and vanilla pudding, and two cups of juice with no dates, both of which showed signs of spoilage such as separation and a thick white substance. Additionally, a bowl with a lid contained unidentifiable, moldy food with no date. When interviewed, an RN was unsure who was responsible for cleaning out residents' personal refrigerators, while the DON stated it was the nurse's responsibility. The facility's policy required food to be labeled, dated, and discarded per safe food storage guidelines, but this was not followed in this instance.