Lack of Refrigeration for Resident Food from Visitors
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide a refrigerator for the storage of residents' food brought in by visitors, resulting in staff disposing of leftover food that required refrigeration. Interviews with the Dietary Supervisor and Infection Preventionist confirmed that there was no dedicated refrigerator available for residents' personal food items, and that per facility policy, only shelf-stable foods could be stored at the resident's bedside. Foods needing refrigeration were discarded if not consumed immediately, as there was no appropriate storage option available. The facility's policy indicated that staff would determine if food items were shelf stable and could be stored in the resident room or under refrigeration, but in practice, the lack of a refrigerator led to the disposal of perishable foods.