Soiled plate warmers were observed stacked on an open shelf next to the food serving line, with grease, egg, crumbs, and other food debris present. Styrofoam plates were also stored face up on the shelf, and one unused plate contained a piece of egg inside it. The S2DM confirmed the items should have been sanitized and stored face down.
Surveyors observed multiple opened, undated food items stored improperly in the kitchen, including uncovered cups of ranch dressing and another undated food item in the snack/nourishment refrigerator, as well as an opened gallon of teriyaki sauce in the pantry that required refrigeration after opening but was not refrigerated. Staff confirmed opened foods should be covered, labeled with an open date, and refrigerated when required.
Surveyors found that kitchen staff did not follow facility policies for sanitary food service and equipment storage. A dusty fan was positioned close to a food prep table and was blowing directly onto desserts while they were being portioned. Ice scoops were kept in an uncovered bucket on a prep table shelf and were used to fill residents’ cups with ice before being returned to the uncovered container, despite policy requiring scoops to be stored to prevent contamination. Residents’ cups were stored upright and uncovered instead of inverted or covered as required. Infection control staff later confirmed that the fan should not have been directed at food and that ice scoops and cups should have been properly covered or inverted, while the dietary manager reported she was unaware of these storage requirements.
Surveyors found that the facility failed to follow food safety standards for storage, labeling, dating, and discarding of food, as well as for documenting food temperatures for meals served to 114 residents. In the kitchen, multiple opened items in the refrigerator, dry storage, and on a seasoning shelf were undated, unlabeled, unsealed, or in poor condition, including vegetables in liquid, browning fruit, unsealed butter, bread, and clumped seasoning. The cook and dietary manager acknowledged that these items should have been sealed, labeled, dated, or discarded and confirmed that required food temperatures were not documented for several consecutive meals. The administrator confirmed that all kitchen staff were expected to ensure proper labeling, dating, and temperature documentation.
Improper Freezer Food Storage: Surveyors observed multiple food items in the freezer stored in unsealed bags inside open cardboard boxes, including sausage patties, biscuit dough, diced ham, chicken breast patties, fish fingers, and egg rolls. The D M confirmed the items were open and not sealed, and the ADM stated the food should have been sealed and not left open to air.
Infection Control Lapses During Beverage Service: Two CNAs failed to perform hand hygiene while refilling and returning residents’ drinking cups during meal service. One CNA handled two residents’ personal cups and used an ice scoop that repeatedly touched the ice in the container, while another CNA handled a resident’s used cup and returned it without hand hygiene. The corporate nurse stated hand hygiene should have been performed between handling residents’ cups and the ice scoop handle should not have touched the ice.
Improper Food Storage and Unsanitary Kitchen Surfaces: Bulk dry goods, juices, and snack items were stored in the kitchen without delivery, opening, expiration, or use-by dates. In addition, a rack used for meal covers and a food prep table had grime and water stains, and the kitchen supervisor and ADM confirmed the findings.
Unsafe food service and improper dish storage. The facility failed to monitor steam table food temperatures for multiple meals and days, despite policy requiring temperature checks throughout the meal. In addition, a dirty, dusty electric fan was observed blowing on clean dishes in a drying rack, and the DM confirmed the fan was being used to dry the dishes and should not have been dirty.
Failure to Wear Hair Covering in Kitchen: The facility failed to maintain sanitary kitchen conditions when an employee entered the kitchen without a hair covering and stood near an uncovered pot of simmering meat. The kitchen policy required hair nets or caps and/or beard restraints to prevent hair from contacting exposed food, equipment, utensils, and linens. The kitchen manager stated that all staff, including maintenance, were aware they were not supposed to enter the kitchen without hair covering.
Kitchen Sanitation and Food Storage Deficiencies: Surveyors observed a dirty tilt skillet gas pipe and shut off valve with greasy buildup, along with sticky debris on the floor around and beneath the equipment. They also found an unlabeled container of white granulated substance in dry storage and 16 expired Jello cups in the reach-in refrigerator. The kitchen supervisor confirmed the sanitation and storage issues.
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