Failure to Refrigerate Opened Perishable Food Brought by Family
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when an opened and partially consumed bottle of prune juice was observed on a resident's nightstand during two separate observations. The product label on the bottle clearly indicated that it should be refrigerated after opening, but the bottle remained unrefrigerated for an extended period. The resident stated that the bottle had been there for almost two weeks, and it was brought in by family. Staff interviews confirmed that the facility had a refrigerator available for residents' food items and that education was provided to residents regarding the importance of refrigerating perishable items. However, the prune juice was not stored as required by the manufacturer's instructions. The resident involved had a history of diverticulosis and paraplegia, and records showed that the resident was cognitively intact and had no impaired movement of the upper or lower body. The facility's policy required perishable foods to be stored in resealable containers with tightly fitting lids in a refrigerator, and any potentially hazardous foods left out for more than two hours were to be discarded. Despite these policies and the resident's ability to understand instructions, the prune juice was left unrefrigerated, contrary to both the product label and facility policy.