Failure to Maintain Kitchen Equipment in Safe Working Order
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain essential kitchen equipment in safe working order, as evidenced by multiple observations and staff interviews. On two separate occasions, a microwave in the third-floor resident kitchenette was found to have a non-functional door open button, preventing its use. The Food Service Director (FSD) confirmed that the microwave had been broken for about a week and that maintenance had been notified, but no repairs had been made. The microwave was used by residents to heat their own food or to have staff heat food for them, and the facility's policy required all kitchen equipment to be kept functional. Additionally, the main kitchen's food processor, used to puree food for residents, was demonstrated to be inoperable unless a magnet was used to bypass a safety feature. Staff reported that the food processor had been broken for six months to a year and that it had been reported to both the FSD and maintenance, but it remained unfixed. Furthermore, one column of the plate warmer in the main kitchen was not working, requiring staff to rotate plates and cover them with a pot to keep them warm. The FSD stated that the plate warmer had not been working for some time, and the need for a replacement was known among staff.