Failure to Maintain Sanitary Food Preparation and Storage Practices
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure the preparation, storage, and serving of food in a clean and sanitary environment, as evidenced by multiple observations during the survey. Partially eaten meal trays from a previous meal were left on tables in the dining room while residents were eating breakfast. Three wall-mounted hand sanitizer dispensers in the dining room were found to be non-functional. In the dish room, a table was cluttered with stacked cardboard boxes, a tray of glasses, a dirty towel, dirty coffee pots, a fleece jacket, and a metal pot inside a box of aprons, all in violation of facility policy regarding food storage and cleanliness. Additionally, the inside of the kitchen microwave was observed to be covered with dried, multi-colored splatters, indicating it had not been cleaned as required by the facility's cleaning schedule. Further observations included an opened package of butter left uncovered and undated on a cart by the stove, and multi-colored stains on the walls near the dish room entrance and on a curtain by the garbage in the dining room. Interviews with dietary staff and the dietary manager confirmed that these cleaning and storage practices did not align with facility policies, which require all foods to be stored covered, labeled, and dated, and for storage areas to be kept neat and clean. The dietary manager acknowledged the deficiencies and indicated awareness of the required procedures.