Failure to Follow Hygienic Practices During Meal Service
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that staff failed to follow hygienic practices during meal service, specifically in the handling and serving of food and utensils. Nursing staff were seen wrapping silverware in napkins and placing them on tables after washing their hands, but they touched the eating portions of the utensils without wearing gloves. Additionally, staff with long, loose hair were observed serving and assisting residents with food and beverages without using hair restraints, as required by professional standards and the 2013 Food Code. These practices were noted during multiple meal services in both the first and second-floor dining areas, involving approximately 30 residents at one time. The dietary manager confirmed that all dietary staff wore appropriate hair restraints, but the nursing staff, who also participated in meal service, did not. The Director of Nursing was unaware of the requirement for nursing staff to use hair restraints while assisting with meal service. The lack of proper glove use and hair restraints by nursing staff created the potential for food contamination during the observed meal services.