Failure to Properly Store, Label, and Maintain Food in Resident Refrigerators
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to store, label, and maintain food in accordance with professional standards and its own policy. Observations of the resident freezer and refrigerator in Building 1 revealed multiple food items that were not labeled with the resident's name or use by date, as required by facility policy. Items found included Stouffers Spaghetti with only a staff name and no date, a pie crust with no name and an expired date, and various other foods such as frozen vegetables, beverages, and desserts with no identifying information. Additionally, several perishable items in the refrigerator, such as containers of grapefruit, jello, yogurt, guacamole, and other foods, were either unlabeled or past their expiration dates. Sanitary conditions were also not maintained, as evidenced by a tipped-over cup with a creamy white liquid that had spilled and dried on the refrigerator door and shelf. The Medical Records / Admissions Coordinator confirmed that the resident freezer and refrigerator were dirty and contained numerous items that were not labeled as required or were expired. These findings indicate noncompliance with facility policy and state regulations regarding food storage, labeling, and sanitation.