Unsanitary Kitchen Conditions and Inadequate Floor-Cleaning Practices
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to maintain the kitchen in a clean and sanitary condition for a census of 31 residents. During a kitchen observation, surveyors noted dried liquids on the floor in front of the refrigerator and visible food crumbs and dried food debris under the refrigerators, stove, and along the baseboards, with debris extending along the wall-floor seam into multiple areas. In the dish room, a fan with a buildup of dark-colored dust was observed blowing directly onto clean utensils and other clean dishes on the clean side of the dishwasher deck. The Dietary Manager, when shown the debris under the refrigerators and stove, stated that evening staff were supposed to clean the floor but was unable to say when the floor was last cleaned and acknowledged the floor did not meet his expectations of cleanliness. The Infection Preventionist also acknowledged the visibly soiled floors and observed the fan blowing toward clean utensils. A review of the kitchen cleaning assignment and log for the month showed daily cleaning tasks for morning and evening cooks and a dietary aide, including cleaning equipment such as the coffee machine, refrigerators, microwave, housekeeping closet, utility carts, trash cans, and stove, but did not list cleaning the kitchen floors. During an interview, a staff member stated that cleaning the floors was not her job and confirmed the floors were not cleaned the previous night, and she could not identify who was responsible for regular floor cleaning. The facility’s policy titled “General Cleaning of Food & Nutrition Services Department,” dated 2023, required that kitchen floors be mopped at least once per day and described the correct sweeping and mopping procedure. The Dietary Manager stated that floors that were not clean and sanitary could attract pests and cause illness to residents.
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