Deficiencies in Food Storage, Labeling, and Meal Tray Handling
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified multiple deficiencies related to food storage, labeling, and handling within the facility. Observations revealed that food items, such as bags of English muffins and a box of pizza, were not dated, and a box of frozen sliced carrots was not covered in the kitchen. Additionally, expired food items, including cans of evaporated milk, cans of Glucerna, and a container of applesauce, were found in storage and resident unit refrigerators. The Dietary Supervisor and Registered Dietitian confirmed that these items should have been dated, covered, or discarded according to facility policy and the Idaho Food Code. In one instance, a resident with chronic kidney disease and mobility issues was observed with an uneaten breakfast tray left on her overbed table for over three hours after delivery. The resident reported that nursing staff sometimes waited to pick up the breakfast tray until delivering the lunch tray. The Director of Nursing confirmed that meal trays should be picked up within two hours of delivery, which had not occurred in this case.