Kitchen staff failed to properly label and store food items and did not follow hand hygiene and glove-use practices during meal prep. Observations found opened food items in the fridge, freezer, and pantry without required open or used-by dates, including resident-labeled foods stored with kitchen items. Staff were also observed handling trash and then returning to cooking without washing hands, and changing tasks while continuing food prep without proper hand hygiene or glove changes.
Kitchen equipment was not cleaned and sanitized in accordance with professional standards. Cooking saute pans and baking sheets were observed with a black encrusted residue that did not scrape off without effort, and the Dietitian stated the pans and sheets should not have that residue. The deficient practice had the potential to affect the 33 residents who consumed food prepared by the facility.
Food storage, labeling, and meal transport practices were deficient. Staff were observed delivering meal trays with uncovered beverages down the hall, and one SW touched a resident’s brownie after unwrapping it. In the kitchen, surveyors found expired or improperly dated food items in the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry, along with dirty cooler fans and stained coffee carafes.
The facility failed to keep the kitchen hood clean, removed moldy cantaloupe from storage only after it was observed, allowed a staff drink to be stored in the kitchen freezer, and observed an employee washing hands for only four seconds with visible substance still on the arm before serving food. Food and refrigerator temperature logs were incomplete, and the activities refrigerator was found with condensation, black buildup, and temperatures above the safe range while the AD reported freezer temperatures were not being checked.
Food safety and sanitation deficiencies were observed in the meal service area and resident freezer storage. A DM donned gloves and handled hot food and temperature checks without washing hands between tasks, physical therapy ice was stored with food ice packs, ice cubes were placed directly on resident juice cup lids, and the handwashing sink contained dirty dishes, a reusable cup, and lacked towels, a trash can, and employee handwashing signage.
Unsanitary kitchen equipment and improper food storage: The facility had dirty walk-in refrigerator fans, an expired container of chicken soup still stored in the refrigerator, discoloration on the ice machine interior hood, and scratched white cutting boards with residue and debris. The Kitchen Mgr and Dietary Mgr confirmed the conditions and stated the old cutting boards should have been discarded when new ones arrived.
Food items were not dated and labeled as required. Surveyors observed a container of watermelon chunks in a resident unit refrigerator that was not dated or labeled while an RN was present, and the RN stated it should have been dated and labeled or discarded.
Food storage, labeling, and sanitation deficiencies were observed in the kitchen. Surveyors found no handwashing sign at the sink, multiple opened food items without open dates, a skillet with encrusted black food residue, and missing refrigerator/freezer temp log entries. The FSS stated the sign had been removed and not replaced yet, and that opened foods should have been sealed and dated, temp logs completed daily, and cookware cleaned appropriately.
Food storage, tray handling, and labeling were deficient. A resident’s breakfast tray remained in the room hours after the meal, a dry food container was found with a cracked lid, and an opened ice cream container in the dining room freezer was unlabeled. Facility staff stated meal trays should be removed shortly after meals and resident foods should be labeled and dated.
Food was found improperly stored and labeled in the kitchen and on resident unit refrigerators. Three uncovered plates of leftover food were left on the tray line area after the prior dinner meal, and resident refrigerator items were observed without proper dating or resident identification. The 100 Hall refrigerator also contained staff drinks, and the DON stated unit refrigerators are for resident items only.
Self-audit
Pick a level of detail and, optionally, what to focus on — then generate a survey-ready checklist distilled from the most recent citations.
Beta · AI-generated — for reference only, not professional advice. Verify against current CMS guidance before relying on it. Assisto accepts no responsibility for how this checklist is used.
Citations used to create this checklist
Trusted data from CMS and state health departments
Every citation, penalty and Plan of Correction is sourced from public CMS records (latest release October 8, 2026) and official state health department websites — never guesswork.
In your survey window? See what surveyors are citing.
The Survey-Prep Report maps your facility's risk from 12 months of CMS and state citation data — what's being cited around you and what to check first. $129 one-time.