Staff personal drink containers were observed in the 500 and 600 hall satellite resident pantry, including refillable water bottles, open soda, Red Bull, Gatorade, and a Starbucks drink on the countertop in the resident food service area. The Kitchen Manager and a CNA confirmed the pantry was for resident food and drink items only and that staff drinks in the room posed a cross contamination risk; staff drinks were supposed to be stored in the employee break room. The facility did not provide a policy for where staff personal belongings were to be stored.
Improper food storage and kitchen hygiene practices were observed when an employee's unlabeled drink was stored in a resident refrigerator, a cook wore dangling jewelry on the tray line, staff had uncovered sideburns and facial hair while handling food, and a dietary aide returned to the tray line before washing hands. The Dietary Manager confirmed these practices and referenced facility policies requiring resident-only refrigerator use, no dangling jewelry, hair coverings for hair and facial hair, and hand hygiene before returning to food prep areas.
Improper Chemical Storage in Kitchen Area: Chemicals, including cleaning products, disinfectants, and spray grease or lubricant, were observed stored on top of a metal cabinet inside the kitchen bathroom. The Dietary Manager stated the cabinet had no more room after a late delivery, and the extra chemicals were placed there instead of inside the cabinet or in the housekeeping storage room. The facility policy required chemicals to be clearly labeled, kept in original containers when possible, and stored in a designated area away from food.
Kitchen Floors Not Maintained in a Sanitary Manner: During a kitchen tour, food debris and spillage were observed throughout the kitchen area, including under the steam table, under the 3-compartment sink, in dry storage, and in the walk-in freezer and refrigerator. The Dietary Manager acknowledged the buildup and stated floor cleaning occurred at shift change and at night, using sweeping and no-rinse mopping, despite facility policy requiring daily mopping with water and floor cleaner.
Food handling and sanitation practices were deficient when dietary staff handled food and donned gloves without performing hand hygiene, stored cooked ham in contact with raw pork chops in the walk-in refrigerator, left caramel sauce past its expiration date in the refrigerator, and kept the outdoor barbecue grill covered in char and grease. The Dietary Supervisor confirmed the hand hygiene, storage, expiration, and cleaning expectations during the observations.
Unlabeled and undated resident food was found in a pediatric section satellite kitchen. Surveyors observed a take-out container with accoutrements and a quart of milk in the refrigerator with no visible placement or use-by date, and an uncovered partially consumed ice cream type product in the freezer with no resident name, placement date, or use-by date.
Expired and unlabeled food items were found in 3 of 4 nourishment room refrigerators, including resident food with past expiration dates and an unlabeled resident item. The ADON, RN, CNAs, and DON confirmed the items should have been labeled and/or discarded, and staff stated nourishment refrigerators were checked daily or twice daily for expired items.
Missing handwashing supplies, improper food storage, and unsanitary food prep were observed in the serving kitchens. A handwashing station lacked disposable hand towels, open pouches of powdered fruit punch and lemonade were left exposed in a pantry, and a DS served soft and bite sized asparagus at 132 F before using a personal knife from a pocket, washed only with hand soap in the handwashing sink, to cut food on a resident plate.
Unsanitary kitchen conditions were observed throughout food prep, storage, and dishwashing areas, including food debris, dirty carts, contaminated bulk food containers, and heavy buildup on equipment. Surveyors also found backed up water in the dishwasher and beverage areas from broken drain/sewer lines, and a nourishment room refrigerator at 60 degrees Fahrenheit with opened, undated foods and cold items stored above safe temperatures; the unit clerk’s temperature log showed 39 degrees Fahrenheit earlier that morning, which the DM said could not have changed that quickly.
Unlabeled Food and Beverages in Nourishment Room Refrigerators: Open juice containers and a resident food item were found in nourishment room refrigerators without the required labels. Kitchen staff stated they were responsible for labeling resident beverages before placement, while nursing staff were responsible for labeling resident food items. A CNA stated she did not know labels were available for resident stored food items, and confirmed the items were not properly labeled.
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