Expired Food Found in Resident Personal Refrigerators
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to meet safety and sanitation requirements regarding the use and storage of foods brought to residents by family and other visitors, specifically in the management of personal refrigerators in resident rooms. Facility policy required designated staff to clean personal refrigerators weekly and discard any foods that were out of compliance or past their use-by dates. However, observations revealed that two residents had expired food items in their personal refrigerators. One resident, with diagnoses including Type 2 Diabetes, Malnutrition, Major Depressive Disorder, COPD, and Muscle Weakness, and moderate cognitive impairment, had tangerines in a plastic container with an expiration date several months past. The Director of Nursing (DON) confirmed that housekeeping staff were responsible for maintaining these refrigerators and acknowledged the expired food was available for consumption. Another resident, with a history of Diabetes, Stroke, Major Depressive Disorder, Osteoarthritis, and Diverticulitis, and who was cognitively intact, had multiple expired food items in their personal refrigerator, including a half-full bottle of mustard, an unopened container of jello, and an unopened container of chocolate pudding, all past their expiration dates. The DON again confirmed the responsibility of housekeeping staff for refrigerator maintenance and acknowledged the presence of expired food items. These findings were based on policy review, observation, and staff interviews.