F0804

E

Failure to Maintain Palatable Meal Temperatures for Multiple Residents

Kirksville, Missouri Survey Completed on 02-24-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to provide meals at an appetizing temperature to multiple residents, contrary to its own policy requiring hot foods on room trays to be at or above 120°F and complaints to be logged and investigated. The facility’s policy also called for periodic temperature checks at the point of service and completion of complaint investigations within 72 hours. A test tray taken after all residents were served showed the fried chicken thigh at 116°F and green beans at 112°F, below the facility’s preferred minimum temperature for palatability.

Several residents reported that their food was frequently served cold. One cognitively intact resident who required setup assistance had a care plan directing that trays be served first and microwaved for 30 seconds to one minute before delivery, yet the resident stated the facility had a problem with cold food and that staff sometimes removed the tray cover and left while the resident was in the bathroom, resulting in cold food by the time the resident returned. Another cognitively intact resident who preferred to eat in the room and required tray setup assistance reported that soup ordered several times a week was always cold. A resident with moderate cognitive impairment and requiring setup assistance reported that food was frequently cold and that eggs served that morning were too cold to eat. Another resident with moderate cognitive impairment, who ate in the dining room and required setup assistance, stated that sometimes the food was cold.

Staff interviews described operational practices that contributed to food cooling before service. A CNA reported that residents complained about cold food and that this CNA microwaved one resident’s food before delivery due to frequent complaints. CNAs explained that the kitchen now plates and covers food and places trays in a cart for staff to deliver, and if nursing staff are busy, trays sit until someone is available to pass them. One CNA stated that nursing staff clock in, receive report, and complete morning care while breakfast trays are already plated in the cart, and that by the time staff are available to pass trays, the food is at room temperature. An LPN confirmed that residents complained about cold food. The Dietary Manager stated his expectation that temperatures be checked before food leaves the kitchen and again before trays are served, and that food be maintained at or above 120°F by the time residents receive it, but he was not aware of any resident complaints. The Administrator stated his expectation that food reach and be maintained at the required temperature and that any deviation be investigated.