Food Preparation and Sanitation Deficiencies
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure food was prepared and served in a sanitary manner, affecting 45 residents who received food from the kitchen. Observations revealed that a diet manager with a noncommunicable skin condition on her forearms, characterized by white flakes and reddened skin, performed food preparation, service, and dishwashing duties without consistently covering the affected skin areas. Despite acknowledging the need to cover the flaky skin, the diet manager was observed multiple times with exposed forearms while handling food and washing dishes, and even when a jacket was worn, the sleeves were pushed up, leaving the skin exposed. Facility policy and state code require food employees to keep hands and exposed portions of arms clean and to wear protective coverings when necessary. Additionally, a cook was observed preparing pureed foods while engaging in unsanitary practices, such as rubbing her forehead and partially exposing her hair from under a hairnet during food preparation. The cook did not sanitize her hands after touching her face and hair, and she reassembled a food processor with her bare hands without ensuring the equipment was dry before use. The cook confirmed these actions during interviews. Facility policies require staff to avoid touching food-contact surfaces of cleaned equipment and to wear hair restraints that fully cover hair, but these standards were not followed during the observed food preparation processes.
Plan Of Correction
Completed 6/2/25 by Regional Dietitian. Step 2 The potential to affect all residents. Cognitive residents interviewed for adverse effects in last 30 days, non-verbal or cognitive impaired residents had medical records review with look back of 30 days, to be completed by 7/15/25. Step 3 All dietary staff to be educated by the RRD/designee on Facility policies "Food and Nutrition, Personnel and Training" and "Food and Nutrition, Sanitation and Infection Control" by 6/30/25. Step 4 To monitor and maintain ongoing compliance, RRD/designee will audit 1 dish washing process daily, weekly x4, then monthly x2 to ensure proper sanitation and infection control practices are being adhered to. Results of the audits will be forwarded to the facility QAPI committee for further review and recommendation.