Unpalatable Food Preparation and Lack of Condiments Affecting Meal Quality
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to prepare and serve food that is palatable, flavorful, and properly prepared, as well as the failure to provide condiments and seasonings with meals. Surveyors observed a cook preparing pureed eggs by blending scrambled and hardboiled eggs with hot water, resulting in a thick, slightly chunky puree that tasted bland, watered down, and gritty. Oatmeal was prepared with quick rolled oats in hot water, with a small, unmeasured amount of melted butter added; it appeared watery, the oats were not fully cooked, and it had no flavor, only a greasy feel on the lips. A test tray showed oatmeal with no flavor and bacon that was inconsistently cooked, with one piece properly cooked and another flimsy and rubbery with unrendered fat. Breakfast trays were sent out without salt, sugar, or other condiments. Multiple cognitively intact residents reported ongoing concerns about the taste and palatability of the food. Members of the resident council stated the food was terrible, sometimes inedible, with specific complaints about hard fried eggs and poor-quality oatmeal, and that listed dislikes on meal tickets were not honored. One resident reported that the food did not taste right and was inconsistent, with hot dogs offered as an alternative if the main meal was disliked. Another resident stated that food tasted bad, some items such as carrots and scalloped potatoes were too hard to eat, and that residents had difficulty obtaining coffee, sugar, creamer, and condiments, particularly on the second floor. Additional residents described the food as nasty, gross, and horrible, and reported that even offered alternatives were not good. The Dietary Manager and Dietician acknowledged that oatmeal designated as “super cereal” should receive butter and brown sugar, while regular oatmeal did not get additions unless requested, and that bacon should be cooked through with fat rendered, which contrasted with the surveyors’ observations and resident reports.
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