WHEELING, IL - State inspectors documented infection control violations at Addolorata Villa during a January 2025 inspection, finding discrepancies between the facility's written policies and actual practices regarding food handling procedures.
Food Handling Protocols Under Scrutiny
The inspection revealed concerns with food safety practices at the facility, specifically related to how staff members handled food items. According to facility documentation, Addolorata Villa maintained written policies requiring Food and Nutrition Services staff to use protective barriers when handling food, including spatulas, tongs, or disposable gloves. These protocols were designed to prevent the transmission of infectious microorganisms through food preparation and service.
The facility's policy, originally dated May 1995 and most recently revised in January 2025, explicitly stated that food service workers should not touch food with bare hands. Additionally, the policy outlined that staff should not perform multiple activities while wearing gloves intended for food handling. These guidelines align with standard infection prevention measures recommended by public health authorities to protect vulnerable nursing home residents from foodborne illness.
Medical Significance of Proper Food Handling
Food safety protocols in nursing facilities serve a critical purpose beyond general hygiene. Elderly residents in nursing homes typically have weakened immune systems, making them significantly more susceptible to infections from foodborne pathogens. When food handlers touch ready-to-eat items with bare hands, they can transfer bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms that healthy individuals might easily fight off but could cause serious illness in immunocompromised elderly residents.
Cross-contamination represents another significant risk when gloves are used improperly. When staff members perform multiple tasks while wearing the same pair of gloves—such as handling money, touching surfaces, or performing other duties before returning to food preparation—they can transfer pathogens from contaminated surfaces directly to food items. This practice defeats the protective purpose of wearing gloves in the first place.
Industry Standards and Best Practices
According to food safety standards established by regulatory agencies, food service workers in healthcare settings must maintain strict barriers between their hands and ready-to-eat foods. This can be accomplished through the use of utensils like tongs or spatulas, or through single-use disposable gloves that are changed between different tasks.
The single-task rule for glove use is particularly important in institutional food service. Healthcare facility staff should remove and discard gloves after completing one food handling task and don new gloves before beginning another. Gloves should never be worn while performing non-food activities and then returned to food preparation without changing them.
These protocols become even more critical when preparing food for elderly residents who may have diabetes, compromised immune systems from medications, or other conditions that increase their vulnerability to infection. A minor lapse in food safety that might cause no issues in a restaurant setting could lead to serious illness or hospitalization for nursing home residents.
Regulatory Framework for Nursing Home Food Safety
Federal regulations governing skilled nursing facilities include specific requirements for food service sanitation and infection control. These standards mandate that facilities maintain comprehensive written policies for food handling and that staff members actually follow these procedures consistently. The presence of written policies alone does not satisfy regulatory requirements—facilities must demonstrate that practices match their documented procedures.
Inspectors evaluate whether facility staff receive proper training on food safety protocols and whether supervisors actively monitor compliance. Regular monitoring helps ensure that shortcuts do not develop over time and that temporary staff members or new employees understand and follow established procedures.
Additional Issues Identified
The inspection findings documented gaps between Addolorata Villa's written infection prevention policies and observed practices. The facility maintained documentation outlining appropriate procedures for preventing food contamination through proper use of protective barriers and glove protocols.
State surveyors noted these concerns as part of routine oversight activities designed to ensure nursing facilities maintain safe environments for residents. The documented violations focused specifically on the implementation of the facility's own established food safety and infection control policies for nutrition services staff.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Addolorata Villa from 2025-01-16 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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