F0908

D

Failure to Maintain Kitchen Equipment and Safe Hot Holding Temperatures

Washington, District Of Columbia Survey Completed on 02-13-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Facility staff failed to maintain essential kitchen equipment in safe, working condition, as evidenced by multiple deficiencies observed during surveyor walkthroughs. On the initial kitchen survey, the reach-in refrigerator next to the ice machine was leaking condensate water inside the food storage chamber and was missing a light bulb cover. In the dishwashing area, the spray hose storage hook and the atmospheric backflow preventer valve cover were in poor repair. Additional observations included a broken garbage disposer attached under a food preparation sink, a leaking drainpipe under the food preparation sink at the cookline, and a kitchen ventilation exhaust hood missing a grease trap pan and one grease filter. These conditions were acknowledged by the Food Service Director during interviews.

On subsequent kitchen surveys, the steam table used for hot holding food was found to be non-operational while staff continued to use it for plating resident meals. During one visit, mashed potatoes held on the broken steam table were measured at 134°F and 132°F, and on a later visit, mashed potatoes were again found at improper hot holding temperatures of 123°F and 120°F. The Food Service Director reported that one steam table had gone out of operation the previous day and that only one of the steam tables had been repaired while the other remained non-functional, yet the non-operational unit continued to be used for meal service. No specific residents were individually identified in the report, and no resident medical histories or conditions were described.