Failure to Provide Palatable and Properly Tempered Food and Drink
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide food and drink that were palatable, attractive, and served at safe and appetizing temperatures. Review of food service and resident council meeting minutes revealed ongoing concerns, including missing condiments, incomplete trays, inconsistent meal preparation, hard hamburgers, dry baked ziti, small portion sizes, undercooked vegetables, tough meat, and insufficient soup portions. Multiple residents interviewed reported dissatisfaction with the quality, flavor, texture, and temperature of the food, specifically noting that meals were often cold, lacked flavor, and did not always match tray ticket requests. A test tray evaluation further confirmed these issues, with hot food items such as roast turkey, mashed potatoes, and brussels sprouts served below the required 140°F, and a dessert missing from the tray. The test tray was delivered after a 19-minute delay from preparation to service, and the cold beverage was within acceptable temperature range, but the dessert was served at room temperature. The Food Service Manager acknowledged that hot foods should be above 140°F and that tray tickets should be followed, confirming the deficiencies observed.