Failure to Provide Palatable and Safe-Temperature Food
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that food and drink served to residents were palatable, attractive, and maintained at safe and appetizing temperatures. Multiple cognitively intact residents reported that the food was unappetizing, cold, and sometimes inedible, with some stating they were left hungry due to poor food quality and insufficient portions. Residents also reported that substitute meals and snacks were either not offered or were equally unsatisfactory. Family members echoed these concerns, describing meals such as cheese sandwiches on dry bread with barely warm tater tots, leading them to bring outside food for their loved ones. During a resident council meeting, additional complaints were raised about the poor quality and small portion sizes of meals, as well as the lack of adequate snacks. Observations by surveyors confirmed that food was not always served at the required safe temperatures. For example, a pan of scalloped potatoes was not temperature-checked before serving, and a pork loin was found to be below the minimum required temperature of 135°F after service. The dietary manager stated that hot food temperatures should be between 170-190°F and that temperatures are supposed to be taken before serving, but this was not consistently done. The facility administrator acknowledged that there was no policy on food palatability or taste, and facility policies required hot foods to be kept at or above 135°F. These failures had the potential to affect all 33 residents in the facility.