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.
Surveyors found that dietary staff preparing and serving food did not wear required beard restraints despite visible facial hair, contrary to facility policy on employee personal hygiene. In addition, review of refrigerator temperature logs showed that two kitchen refrigerators had no recorded twice-daily temperature checks for a two-week period, with notes indicating the logs were lost, in violation of the facility’s policy requiring documented cooler and freezer temperatures to be maintained at or below 41°F.
Surveyors found that during ongoing plumbing repairs, one end of the kitchen had large sheets of bare, stained plywood laid over missing tile, with surrounding floor areas showing debris and stains. Staff reported that holes had been dug under the flooring to fix drainpipes over the prior two weeks, and that plastic sheeting and tenting were used to contain dust and construction materials. Staff also stated they used plywood to avoid a tripping hazard and were waiting for new tile to arrive. These conditions did not comply with the FDA Food Code and the facility’s sanitation policy requiring cleanable, sanitary nonfood-contact surfaces and clean food service areas.
Dietary staff failed to follow sanitary food-handling and infection control practices during meal preparation and service. During a COVID-19 outbreak, two dietary staff worked in the food preparation area without infection control face masks. At breakfast, one staff member used the same gloved hands to handle trays, tray cards, food racks, and open juice glasses without changing gloves or performing hand hygiene, while another staff member handled sausages, muffins, eggs, cereal bowls, and plate surfaces with bare hands and no gloves or handwashing. At lunch, staff used bare hands to cut and plate pizza, scrape and arrange beans, place buns, and cut and plate sandwiches. A staff member reported that kitchen staff should never touch food with bare hands, confirming that these observed practices did not follow expected infection control standards.
Surveyors identified a failure to store food according to professional standards when they observed multiple open and prepared food items in the walk-in freezer and refrigerator without labels or dates, including an open bag of French fries, cut tomatoes and onion wrapped in cellophane, and a half-empty pan of red Jello. The dietary supervisor reported that staff are instructed to check received and expiration dates, label and date all open and cut items, and use a posted "Use by Date Guide" as a reminder, and facility policy requires labeling, dating, monitoring refrigerated foods, and keeping foods covered or in tight containers.
Multiple residents reported and were observed receiving meal trays late and at improper temperatures, with some expressing significant hunger while waiting. Staff interviews confirmed ongoing issues with timely meal delivery to resident rooms, attributed to kitchen delays, unclear meal schedules, and inconsistent staff performance.
Surveyors found that expired food items were not discarded, and perishable foods were not properly labeled or dated in several areas of the facility. Dietary staff did not have or follow written policies for food storage and handling, and dish sanitization water was not tested due to a lack of test strips, despite policy requirements for safe food handling and sanitation.
Staff failed to consistently use proper hair restraints during food preparation, with some not fully covering their hair or lacking beard coverings, and there was inconsistent enforcement of hair covering policies. Additionally, a resident received a meal that was not served at an appropriate temperature, with staff lacking knowledge of safe reheating practices and not using thermometers to verify food safety, contrary to facility policy.
A staff member was observed preparing multiple residents' breakfast trays in the kitchen while wearing a hairnet but not a beard net, despite having facial hair that required coverage according to facility policy. The staff member and other employees confirmed that a beard net should have been worn during food preparation.
Surveyors identified multiple instances of undated, unlabeled, and expired food items in storage areas and refrigerators, as well as improper storage of open food containers. Staff interviews confirmed inconsistent food inventory audits and lack of adherence to facility policy on food labeling. Additionally, a dusty oscillating fan was used to dry clean dishes without a set cleaning schedule, and a kitchen floor drain was found to be cracked, unsealed, and in disrepair for an extended period, with staff unable to secure timely repairs.
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