Ashland Nursing and Rehabilitation: Cold Food Violations - VA
When a federal surveyor asked the district manager for dietary at Ashland Nursing and Rehabilitation to describe what she had just tasted, the manager said the food was lukewarm. When the surveyor followed up and asked directly whether the food was palatable, the manager said nothing.
Inspectors cited the facility on August 21, 2025, following a complaint investigation that found staff on Unit One were serving residents food that had dropped nearly 30 degrees below the temperature the facility's own account manager said it should reach.
The test tray was assembled in the kitchen on August 18 at around 3:50 p.m., loaded onto a food cart, and followed to Unit One by a surveyor and the district manager for dietary. By the time the last lunch tray was served to a resident at approximately 4:10 p.m., twenty minutes had passed. Two surveyors watched the district manager lift the cover and take the temperatures herself.
The numbers she recorded were not close.
The account manager for dietary, interviewed the following morning, did not dispute what the thermometer showed. She confirmed the food should have reached 140 degrees or above. Then she explained what falling that far short actually means for the people eating it. "It would not taste good," she said, "because it was cold and the temperature dropped too much."
That answer came on August 19. The executive director and the director of clinical services were notified of the findings later that same evening, around 5:00 p.m. Inspectors noted that no further information was provided before they left the facility.
The violation was tagged under a federal standard requiring nursing homes to ensure that food is palatable, attractive, and served at a safe and appetizing temperature. CMS rated the harm level as minimal or potential for actual harm, and noted that some residents were affected.
What the inspection does not capture is how many meals on Unit One arrived in this condition before a surveyor happened to follow the cart.
The district manager tasted the stir-fry, the spinach, and the potatoes alongside the surveyors. She acknowledged the temperature. She described it as lukewarm. And when she was asked the direct question — is this food palatable — she offered no answer at all.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Ashland Nursing and Rehabilitation from 2025-08-21 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
ASHLAND NURSING AND REHABILITATION in ASHLAND, VA was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 21, 2025.
When the surveyor followed up and asked directly whether the food was palatable, the manager said nothing.
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.