Failure to Monitor and Maintain Safe Storage of Resident Food in Personal Refrigerators
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to implement and enforce a policy regarding the use and storage of foods brought to residents by family and other visitors, specifically in relation to the monitoring and maintenance of personal refrigerators in resident rooms. Observations revealed that three residents had personal refrigerators that were packed with undated food items and lacked visible thermometers. Interviews with these residents indicated that they were either unsure of who was responsible for checking the refrigerator temperatures or believed that no one was regularly monitoring them. Review of temperature logs showed consistent, possibly inaccurate temperature recordings, despite the absence of thermometers in the refrigerators during the survey period. Staff interviews demonstrated confusion and lack of clarity regarding responsibility for monitoring and maintaining the cleanliness and temperature of residents' personal refrigerators. Various staff members, including LVNs, maintenance, housekeeping, and CNAs, provided conflicting statements about who was responsible for these tasks. The housekeeping supervisor mentioned keeping a temperature log and attempting to clean the refrigerators but noted that residents sometimes refused access. The administrator and DON both acknowledged the importance of monitoring refrigerator temperatures but also indicated uncertainty about which staff were assigned to this duty. A review of the facility's Food and Nutrition Services policy revealed that the responsibility for monitoring the interior temperature of personal refrigerators was assigned to residents and/or their family members, with a requirement to keep food at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or less and to discard perishable foods within seven days. However, the lack of enforcement and oversight of this policy led to the deficiency, as evidenced by the absence of thermometers, undated food items, and inconsistent temperature monitoring in the residents' personal refrigerators.