Deficient Food Storage, Sanitation, and Hand Hygiene Practices
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food was stored, handled, prepared, and served under sanitary conditions, as evidenced by multiple direct observations and policy reviews. Food items were found unlabeled, undated, and stored beyond their use-by dates, with some items placed directly on the freezer floor. Staff personal belongings, such as purses and phones, were observed on workstations and equipment, and food storage containers and lids were dirty with sticky residue. Additionally, a metal table and stand had visible rust, the ice machine had fuzzy debris hanging from its filter, and food trays were stored with standing water. Drinks were left uncovered, and nourishment refrigerators/freezers lacked proper temperature logs and thermometers, with some containing expired or unlabeled food items and visible residue. Staff did not consistently perform hand hygiene or change gloves when required, such as after adjusting face masks, opening refrigerators, handling carts, or plating food. Multiple instances were observed where dietary staff continued food preparation activities without washing hands or changing gloves after potential contamination. These actions were in direct violation of the facility's own policies, which require handwashing after unloading supplies and before handling food, as well as proper glove use and hand hygiene during food preparation and service. Interviews with the Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) and Director of Nursing (DON) confirmed that the observed practices were not in compliance with facility policies. The CDM acknowledged that food should be labeled and dated, not stored past use-by dates, and that food trays should not be stored with standing water. The DON confirmed that nourishment refrigerators/freezers should be clean, contain only resident food items, and have daily temperature logs. The CDM also confirmed that staff personal items should not be on workstations, and that hand hygiene should be performed when donning or removing gloves and after handling potentially contaminated items.