Improper Dating and Storage of Food Items: Surveyors found multiple refrigerated and frozen food items in the kitchen stored without dates, including peeled hard boiled eggs, fruit, bread, cookie dough, vegetables, cooked eggs, shrimp, sauce, rolls, and whipped topping. The DC confirmed staff should date opened refrigerated items and stated there was no schedule for checking date labels or expired food, while the DM stated the kitchen guidelines did not address dating items when received or opened.
Food storage and kitchen sanitation were deficient due to expired food items remaining in storage, debris and dead insects in the dry storage area, pooled water and no backup thermometer in the walk-in cooler, employee soda stored in the cooler, and torn, soiled potholder gloves in use. Additional buildup of food spillage and grease, soiled saucers, and food debris in prep table drawers were also observed.
Improper food storage and milk temperature control were observed in the facility. A resident refrigerator on the hall contained expired, undated, and spoiled items, including food with visible mold, and the DM and Administrator confirmed the findings. During lunch service, milk placed on a resident tray in a meal cart measured 56.1 degrees F, above the facility’s required 41 degrees F or below for cold foods on the tray line.
Unlabeled Food Stored in Kitchen: Food items in the kitchen were observed without required date labels, including turkey, hardboiled eggs, pork ribs, lima beans, and hamburger rolls. The DM confirmed that refrigerated and frozen foods should be dated when opened and stated there was no schedule for checking food for date labels or expired items.
Expired and unlabeled food items were found in kitchen storage, the walk-in cooler, and a nourishment room refrigerator. Surveyors observed expired thickened apple juice, thawed biscuits marked to keep frozen, and multiple unlabeled, undated items including baked beans, diced pears, sandwiches, and resident food and beverages. A CNA reported that night shift kept placing personal items in the refrigerator, and the unlabeled baked beans were later seen being served.
Missing Beard Restraints During Food Prep: Two kitchen staff with facial hair were observed preparing breakfast without beard restraints, although they were wearing head covers. The staff donned facial hair covers only after the surveyor asked about them. The facility policy required appropriate hair restraints, including beard restraints, during food production, and the DM confirmed this requirement.
Improper Food and Ice Storage in Nourishment Room: The facility failed to store and dispense food and ice under sanitary conditions in a second-floor nourishment room. An ice scoop was stored inside the ice chest, and the refrigerator had a broken thermometer, a 48 F temperature reading, expired and unlabeled items, an opened carton of milk, an unidentified milky white liquid in a bottle, eggs past the best-by date, an expired renal supplement, food debris on a shelf, and a gouged door. An LPN and the Dietary Manager confirmed several of these conditions.
Dishwasher Failed to Maintain Required Sanitizing Temperature: The facility failed to ensure the low-temp dishwasher reached the required final rinse temperature for proper sanitization. Observation found the dishwasher at 90 degrees Fahrenheit with sanitizer at 100 ppm, and logs showed repeated low readings for about a month. The CDM said staff documented the issue and notified management, maintenance, and Ecolab, while the Maintenance Director said he knew the dishwasher was not reaching temp and the Administrator said she was only made aware of the problem later.
Kitchen staff failed to keep major equipment clean, with the stove, deep fryer, and two ovens observed with heavy grease and food residue and no cleaning schedule for the ovens or deep fryer. Staff also did not consistently wear proper hair or beard restraints, as a male cook with a beard and a female staff member with exposed hair were observed without adequate coverage. Dietary staff also incorrectly calibrated thermometers and handled food with poor hygiene practices while plating and temping meals.
Surveyors found unsafe food storage and handling practices in the main kitchen and satellite kitchenettes, including opened and undated foods, improper cold storage, gnats in dry storage, poor hair restraint use, and food served at improper temperatures. Staff also failed to accurately monitor and document dishwasher PPM, and multiple dishwashers were observed below required sanitizer levels, including the main kitchen and four kitchenette machines.
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