F0812

F

Unsanitary Food Storage and Poor Kitchen Maintenance

Wichita, Kansas Survey Completed on 03-04-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Surveyors identified that the facility failed to maintain sanitary food storage and kitchen conditions across four kitchens serving 66 residents. In the main hall food storage room, several cases of emergency water were stored directly on the floor, and dietary staff reported the water had been kept there for a few months. In one house kitchen, the oven contained a large amount of burnt dark residue on the bottom, and the refrigerator held a staff member’s lunch bag stored with resident food items. In two house kitchens, surveyors observed undated containers and bags of food, including cut-up apples with cinnamon, hash browns, and frozen biscuits, and dietary staff acknowledged that all items should have been labeled with dates.

Further observations on subsequent days showed multiple areas of disrepair and unclean conditions in the kitchens. Broken cupboards, missing drawers, and very scratched cutting boards were noted, along with muffin bakery tins that were bent and had cooked-on dark black/brown residue. The bottom shelf of a freezer in one kitchen was dirty with drops of food and liquids, and a shelf under a steamer table was dirty with baked-on food and dust. A broken laundry basket labeled for kitchen towels was stored on the floor in a storage area between two houses and contained clean kitchen towels. Administrative staff stated an expectation that kitchen equipment be clean and in good repair, that food be labeled with dates, and that items not be stored on the floor, which contrasted with the conditions observed. The facility’s policy required that food be prepared and served using methods designed to be free of injurious organisms and substances and that the kitchen and equipment be kept clean, neat, orderly, and well maintained.