Failure to Maintain Sanitary and Temperature-Controlled Storage for Food and Medications
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to maintain sanitary conditions and proper temperature monitoring for both a shared resident refrigerator and a medication refrigerator. Surveyors observed the shared resident refrigerator containing multiple open and undated bottles and containers, including milk and beverages, as well as a freezer section with melted popsicles and a sticky orange substance affixing a Tupperware container to the freezer floor. The certified dietary manager was unable to confirm when the refrigerator was last cleaned, and temperature logs for the refrigerator were missing significant entries for the month reviewed. The cleaning schedule also lacked documentation of the last cleaning date, and the administrator confirmed there was no evidence of recent cleaning. Additionally, the medication refrigerator was found to have water inside the containers and bags storing insulin pens, with a freezer compartment covered in ice and leaking into the storage area. Temperature logs for the medication refrigerator were incomplete for several months, with numerous shifts lacking recorded temperatures. Both the LPN and DON confirmed that water should not be present in medication storage and that the refrigerator required defrosting. The facility's policies required daily temperature checks and documentation, which were not followed, and the pharmacist emphasized the importance of proper storage conditions for medication effectiveness.