Food was not consistently stored, monitored, prepared, and served under sanitary conditions. Staff did not reliably document refrigerator and freezer temps, and food holding temps were not routinely recorded; during observation, breakfast food on the serving line was checked but not documented, and cream of wheat measured below the recommended hot-holding temp. Surveyors also observed heavy dust, grease, and debris on kitchen vents, a wall fan, light fixtures, and stained ceiling tiles, while staff acknowledged the cleaning and documentation gaps.
Opened food items were found in kitchen dry storage and refrigeration without open dates and, in some cases, not properly sealed. Surveyors observed partially used flour, spices, cereal, milk, frozen hamburger patties, Cream of Wheat, quick oats, garlic, and Caesar dressing stored without dating, while staff stated opened items should be dated for stock rotation and were unsure of storage timeframes. The facility policy required food items to be labeled, dated, and stored using FIFO.
Unsafe food labeling and storage were identified in the dining room kitchen. Staff reported that nursing was responsible for ordering, labeling, dating, and disposing of expired food and drinks, while CNAs prepared and distributed resident snacks, but staff were unsure who was responsible for disposing of expired items. Observations found unlabeled and undated covered bowls and cups, expired sweet cream butter, unlabeled and undated containers with brown substances, prune juices with no expiration date, and an undated bin of flour; a later observation showed the same problems remained.
Improper Storage of Food and Drinks in Kitchen: Boxes of supplemental drinks, Gatorade, and green beans were observed on the kitchen and dry storage floors, and one box of supplemental drinks was being used to prop open the kitchen door. An MDS/food service staff member stated the delivery had arrived late, the items had not been put away, and she knew food should not be stored on the floor.
Unsafe food storage and poor dietary hygiene were observed in the kitchen and dining areas. Staff stored multiple foods unlabeled or undated, left opened items improperly handled, and allowed food-contact surfaces and equipment to remain soiled. During meal service, staff wore the same gloves while handling food, utensils, and paperwork, and some staff worked without proper hair nets or beard covers, including a beard cover that did not fully cover a mustache.
Hot foods were not maintained at safe temps during tray prep, holding, and delivery. Meal trays were carried to resident rooms on an uninsulated metal cart or by hand instead of in an insulated cart, and plate covers were sometimes poorly seated with air gaps. On the steam table, foods were left uncovered while staff prepared trays; a waffle tested at 78 degrees F and a sausage patty tested at 108 degrees F. Staff said they did not know the required hot-holding temp and did not routinely check temps, despite the facility policy requiring hot foods to be held at 135 degrees F or greater and kept covered.
Food storage items in the walk-in cooler were found unlabeled, including two sandwich bags of fruit, a gallon jug of salad dressing, and an opened bag of grapes without an opened-on date. An LTC staff member stated opened and repackaged foods should be marked with the food name and use-by date, and the facility policy requires refrigerated or frozen foods to be covered, labeled, and dated.
Food Storage and Dating Deficiencies: The facility failed to discard expired food and failed to properly date, label, and store food in the kitchen dry storage, meat freezer, and vegetable cooler. Expired oatmeal and cream of wheat were found, along with open, undated meat items and lettuce. An LPN stated open items needed to be dated and food discarded by use-by or expiration date, but the items remained present on a later observation.
Surveyors found that kitchen staff failed to properly label and date multiple food items stored in the walk-in cooler, including slimy sliced tomatoes, ground meat, sliced ham, roast beef, cheese, and strawberries. Staff reported that they sometimes picked moldy strawberries out of shipments and that moldy dinner rolls had been served and then collected from residents. These practices did not follow the facility’s written policy requiring labeling, dating, and monitoring of refrigerated foods so they are used by their use-by date or discarded, placing all residents at risk for foodborne illness.
Food items were found opened and undated on kitchen shelving, including oils, spices, oats, cereal, and instant potatoes. The kitchen manager stated staff were responsible for dating opened items and acknowledged that staff did not date food items when they were opened.
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