Failure to Safely Store Visitor-Provided Yogurt for a Resident
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s handling and storage of food brought in by visitors when a resident had nine single-serve yogurts left on the overbed table for three days. During observation and interview in the resident’s room, the resident reported that a friend had brought the yogurts three days earlier, and the yogurts remained unrefrigerated on the overbed table. In a concurrent interview, the Infection Preventionist confirmed the presence of the nine single-serve yogurts, stated they should have been refrigerated, and explained that staff should have informed the resident that the yogurts required refrigeration. The Infection Preventionist further stated that the yogurts could cause foodborne illness when left at room temperature and could make the resident sick. Review of the facility’s “Resident Personal Food Storage” policy showed that food or beverages brought from outside sources are to be monitored by designated staff for food safety and that outside foods brought in by visitors are to be stored in a facility refrigerator designated for resident use, which did not occur in this case. This failure to follow the facility’s food storage policy and to ensure proper refrigeration of visitor-provided food resulted in a deficiency related to safe storage of resident food items.
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