Failure to Maintain and Log In-Room Refrigerator Temperatures per Policy
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that refrigerator temperatures in a resident's room were properly maintained and logged according to professional food service safety standards. Review of the temperature log for the resident's personal refrigerator revealed several recorded temperatures above the facility's acceptable range of 32-40 degrees Fahrenheit, specifically 45, 45, 48, and 46 degrees on multiple dates. Additionally, there were missing temperature recordings for several days. A nursing assistant confirmed both the elevated temperatures and the missing entries. The facility's policy requires daily temperature monitoring and documentation, as well as notification of maintenance if temperatures fall outside the acceptable range, but these procedures were not followed in this instance.