The Laurels of Gahanna: Dishwasher Sanitation Failure - OH
The sanitation test strips weren't changing color. Dietary Manager #130 dipped one directly into the sanitizer solution and nothing happened. She told inspectors she couldn't verify the dishwasher was running appropriately. Her aides kept running dishes through it anyway.
This was August 6, 2025. Breakfast had already been served. Lunch had already been served.
The dishwasher log for that day said everything was fine. It showed the machine had hit the right temperature and the right sanitizer concentration for both meals. Dietary Manager #130, when shown the log, told inspectors it was wrong. She said she didn't know how to trust whether any of the forms had ever been filled out accurately, if staff were writing down that equipment was working when they had no way to verify it.
The Plant and Maintenance Director, identified in the report as #129, said he hadn't heard about any problems with the dishwasher at all.
A serviceman was eventually called in. He brought his own test strips and found the machine was, by that point, running correctly. He offered an explanation for what had likely gone wrong earlier: when a sanitizer supply runs to empty, air can get trapped in the line. That air blocks the sanitizer from pumping through. The fix is a button above the pump, which manually moves the chemical and clears the line.
The dietary manager told inspectors the sanitizer had been delivered the day before and connected by staff. She said after that, the machine was supposed to handle everything automatically. Nobody had pressed the button. Nobody had confirmed the sanitizer was actually moving.
The serviceman also pointed out that dipping a test strip directly into the sanitizer concentrate doesn't work. The strips require water to produce a reading. The dietary manager's test, the one that failed to show any color change, was the wrong test performed the wrong way.
The owner's manual for the dishwasher sets a minimum wash temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit and requires sanitizer concentration between 50 and 100 parts per million. Whether those thresholds were met during breakfast or lunch on August 6 is not something the log can answer, because the log, according to the person who supervised it, cannot be trusted.
The maintenance director said that when a new chemical container is connected, kitchen staff are supposed to check that it's pumping and use the button above the pump if it isn't. That step was not taken. He said he was unaware of any concerns.
What the inspection captured was a system that failed at almost every point where a check was supposed to happen. The sanitizer connection went unverified. The morning check of temperature and concentration, which the dietary manager said was supposed to happen with the first rack of dishes, didn't happen. The log that should have flagged the problem instead recorded that nothing was wrong. And the manager responsible for the kitchen only learned something was off because the test strips she was using incorrectly happened to produce no result.
The dietary manager told inspectors she didn't know how she could trust the forms going forward.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for The Laurels of Gahanna from 2025-08-20 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: July 3, 2026 · Our methodology
THE LAURELS OF GAHANNA in COLUMBUS, OH was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 20, 2025.
The sanitation test strips weren't changing color.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.