Failure to Serve Food at Safe and Appetizing Temperatures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food was served at proper and appetizing temperatures for seven out of 46 sampled residents. During a resident council meeting, multiple residents complained that their meals were being served cold. When questioned, the Registered Dietician (RD) confirmed that there was no policy regarding food palatability and acknowledged receiving complaints about cold food. The RD also stated that she had not conducted any test trays at the facility to determine if food was being served hot and had not implemented any interventions to address the complaints. On the day of the survey, food temperatures were measured at the steam table and found to be within appropriate ranges. However, when a test tray was delivered to the unit as the last tray, the food temperatures had dropped significantly, and the food was found to be cold by both corporate dietitians present. The staff present could not explain the delay in food delivery, and no further information was provided before the survey exit.