SAN DIEGO, CA - Casa De Las Campanas nursing home was cited for multiple critical food safety violations, including failing to maintain emergency food supplies for residents requiring therapeutic diets.
Emergency Food Supply System Breakdown
Federal inspectors documented that the facility completely lacked emergency meal plans for residents requiring therapeutic or modified diets during a disaster scenario. The Acting Administrator admitted the 50-bed skilled nursing facility did not have appropriate emergency foods to accommodate residents with medical dietary restrictions for the required three-day period.
The facility's emergency food calculations revealed significant gaps in planning. While the facility maintained 11 pallets containing 660 cases of water and rehydrated meals, administrators acknowledged these supplies were inadequately calculated for health center residents and failed to account for residents requiring therapeutic diets.
Staff stated they needed 873 meals to feed 97 residents for three days, but the emergency menu completely omitted provisions for residents requiring modified textures, sodium restrictions, diabetic diets, or other medically necessary dietary modifications.
Medical Significance of Therapeutic Diet Requirements
Therapeutic diets serve critical medical functions for nursing home residents. These modified diets address conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney dysfunction, and swallowing disorders. During emergencies, residents requiring pureed textures face aspiration risks if given regular consistency foods, while diabetic residents require controlled carbohydrate intake to prevent dangerous blood sugar fluctuations.
The facility's own 2015 policy acknowledged that "therapeutic diets are also called modified or special diets and indicate a change from a regular diet" and noted the importance of addressing "changes that occur in organ systems of the geriatric resident."
Food Quality Concerns Documented
Beyond emergency preparedness failures, inspectors found ongoing food quality issues affecting daily meal service. During dining observations, multiple residents expressed dissatisfaction with meal palatability and quality.
Resident complaints included: - "The salad sucks" - "The food is dry" - Beef and pork being "too tough to eat" - Soup quality problems with meat being over or undercooked
The facility's own resident council meeting minutes from February through April 2024 documented recurring dietary concerns, with residents reporting that "food needs more flavor" and requesting "help with menus."
Test Tray Confirms Quality Issues
When inspectors conducted a test tray evaluation with dietary supervisors, they confirmed residents' complaints were valid. The barbecue chicken served was described as dry, overcooked, and lacking seasoning. Both the Food and Beverage Director and Dietary Supervisor agreed the chicken was dry and could have benefited from additional seasoning.
The Registered Dietitian acknowledged that residents had "mixed reviews about the facility foods and the meals were boring" and confirmed receiving complaints about tough meat and dry chicken.
Individual Dietary Needs Overlooked
Inspectors documented specific failures in serving residents according to their prescribed dietary modifications. One resident requiring finger foods due to cognitive impairment and eating difficulties received a whole sandwich instead of the facility's own policy requirement that sandwiches be "cut into fourths prior to meal service."
This resident had already lost 3.8 pounds over six days and was identified as having "high nutritional risk for continued weight loss." The facility's dietary supervisor had previously noted the resident "eats well when meals are finger food," making proper food preparation crucial for preventing further weight loss.
Medical research indicates unintended weight loss of 5% or more within 30 days increases mortality risk tenfold among nursing home residents.
Widespread Food Safety Violations
Beyond meal quality and emergency preparedness issues, inspectors documented extensive food safety violations throughout kitchen operations:
Equipment contamination included: - Two ice machines requiring cleaning per manufacturer instructions - Three ice machines and one dish machine lacking proper backflow prevention - Refrigerator door gaskets containing brownish sticky debris - Cutting boards with severe wear, cuts, and white discoloration
Food handling violations involved: - Multiple food items left uncovered during transport - Individual desserts transported without protection from contamination
These violations created conditions where foodborne illness could affect all 50 residents receiving meals from the kitchen.
Regulatory Standards and Industry Expectations
Federal regulations require nursing homes to maintain three-day emergency food supplies that meet residents' therapeutic dietary needs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services mandate that emergency food planning must account for all residents' medical conditions and dietary restrictions.
Professional food service standards require ice machines to be cleaned according to manufacturer specifications to prevent bacterial growth. Proper air gaps prevent contaminated water from entering clean water systems, while food covering during transport prevents airborne contamination.
Consequences and Corrective Actions Required
The facility received multiple citations for these violations, each carrying potential financial penalties and requiring comprehensive corrective action plans. The facility must demonstrate compliance with emergency food planning, food quality standards, and sanitation requirements to maintain its Medicare and Medicaid certification.
Residents and families should be aware that these violations indicate systemic issues with the facility's food service operations that could impact resident health, nutrition, and safety during both routine operations and emergency situations.
The complete inspection report provides additional details about specific violations and the facility's required corrective measures to address these food safety and emergency preparedness deficiencies.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Casa De Las Campanas from 2024-06-07 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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