Unsanitary Kitchen Prep Sink and Improper Maintenance of Food Preparation Area
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s food service operations related to unsanitary conditions and improper maintenance of the kitchen’s double preparation sink. During an initial kitchen tour with the Dietary Manager (DM), both basins of the double prep sink were found covered by a long cookie sheet, with signs posted above each basin stating “DO NOT USE UNDER REPAIR,” yet both sinks contained multiple dried food particles. Under the first prep sink, surveyors observed a red bucket filled with yellowish gray fluid, and a wet yellow blanket was seen on the floor in the corner at the end of the double prep sinks. The DM reported that the prep sinks had a drainage issue beginning on March 18, 2026, that the maintenance supervisor had attempted repairs without success, and that two separate plumbers had determined the drainage pipe under the double prep sink was collapsed beneath the courtyard cement. The DM also stated that kitchen staff were using plastic bus tubs to clean fruits and vegetables during this period. In a concurrent observation and interview with the Administrator (ADM), DM, Cook, and Director of Nursing (DON), the ADM acknowledged that the double prep sinks had been non-operational since March 18, 2026, and confirmed the presence of dirty sinks, the red bucket with yellow-grey water, and the wet yellow blanket on the floor. The Cook stated that the sinks had been non-operational and dirty with old, dried food, with the red bucket of yellow-grey liquid and the wet yellow blanket in place since March 18, 2026, and acknowledged that the kitchen should be sanitary at all times and was not. The DON reported there had been no resident complaints or transfers related to signs or symptoms of food-borne illness. The facility’s written policy on sanitization stated that all kitchens, kitchen areas, and dining areas are to be kept clean and free from garbage and debris, which contrasted with the observed conditions in the prep sink area.
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