Failure to Serve Palatable and Properly Heated Food
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide palatable foods at a safe and appetizing temperature for all seven residents reviewed for food palatability. Multiple residents, including one with severe cognitive impairment and diagnoses such as dementia and Type 2 diabetes, were affected. Observations revealed that breakfast trays were plated, placed in insulated domes, and loaded into a food cart for delivery to the dementia unit. However, when a test tray was sampled, the food items, including bacon, eggs, grits, and pancakes, were found to be cold to the touch and taste, with no steam or condensation present. The Food Service Supervisor confirmed the food was cold and admitted to not knowing how to maintain proper holding temperatures once trays were on the cart. Interviews with residents' representatives and during a Resident Council meeting indicated that complaints about cold food, especially at breakfast, were frequent and that residents often had to request staff to reheat their meals. The Food Service Supervisor was unaware of these complaints prior to the survey. The facility administrator acknowledged awareness of the issue, attributing it to new and insufficiently trained staff, staffing shortages, and the need for repairs to the steam table. No corrective or follow-up actions were described in the report.