Failure to Serve Meals at Appetizing Temperatures for Room-Tray Residents
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to serve meals at a palatable and appetizing temperature to multiple residents eating in their rooms across all four wings. Review of resident council minutes and grievance logs revealed repeated concerns about cold food being served in resident rooms over several months. During an observation of the evening meal service, it was noted that residents in the dining room were served first, while trays for residents eating in their rooms were prepared afterward and placed in a transport cart. The facility used insulated plate bottoms and lids but did not utilize heated pellets or heat the insulated bottoms, contrary to standard practices observed in other facilities. The dietary manager confirmed that neither the insulated bottoms were heated nor were heated pellets used, regardless of the type of plate bottom available. When the last tray was served to a resident, a test tray's food temperatures were measured and found to be below appetizing levels: Swedish meatballs at 123.2°F, rice at 116°F, and green beans at 114.6°F. Both the surveyor and dietary manager agreed that the hot foods were lukewarm and not appetizing, though the flavor was acceptable. Facility policy requires that food be served at a safe and appetizing temperature, but this was not followed during the observed meal service. The deficiency was reviewed with facility leadership, confirming the failure to maintain appropriate food temperatures for residents eating in their rooms.