Timber Springs Care: Expired Food, Dirty Equipment - ID
The hand hygiene violations were among multiple food safety failures federal inspectors documented at Timber Springs Transitional Care in September, affecting all 98 residents who ate meals prepared by the facility.
Inspectors found Supreme Salad Mix that had expired five years earlier, in November 2020. They discovered moldy tomatillos dated September 1 and moldy yams with no date at all. Baking soda had expired three months before the inspection.
The dietary manager told inspectors on September 11 that "the main kitchen is run by a different facility and they should have identified the expired food items and thrown them away."
During the lunch tray line service between 11:38 AM and 12:20 PM that day, Dietary Aide #1 repeatedly switched between using his bare hands to serve food with ladles and putting on gloves to directly touch resident food for cutting. He never washed his hands during the task changes.
When inspectors questioned the practice, the dietary manager said handwashing between glove use wasn't needed because the aide "had not left his workstation and was serving food consistently, less than 4 hours."
Federal food safety codes require employees to wash their hands immediately before food preparation, including before putting on gloves to work with food.
The facility's ice machine contained black residue running down the right interior side. The dietary manager said it had last been cleaned on August 25 and was cleaned monthly, but couldn't explain the contamination.
In the assisted living kitchen, inspectors found a cooking skillet with black residue encrusted on the interior surface. Another skillet had multiple scratches in its Teflon coating across the cooking area.
The dietary manager acknowledged the encrusted skillet was "visibly dirty" and said the scratched Teflon skillet "should have been thrown away." He couldn't explain why the assisted living kitchen manager had not cleaned or discarded the damaged equipment.
Federal food codes require cooking equipment surfaces to be cleaned to prevent encrustations that can block heat transfer needed for proper cooking. Encrusted equipment can also attract insects.
The violations placed residents at risk for food contamination and foodborne illness, according to the inspection report. Ready-to-eat foods that require time and temperature control must be properly dated and discarded by expiration dates to prevent bacterial growth.
Food contact surfaces and utensils must be cleaned regularly to prevent contamination. Ice machines require particular attention because ice is consumed directly by residents.
The facility's food safety failures spanned multiple areas: expired ingredients in storage, contaminated equipment, and improper hygiene practices during food service. The assisted living kitchen, which prepares food for the main facility, contained the expired items dating back years.
Scratched Teflon cookware poses additional health risks because the coating can flake into food when damaged. Food safety protocols require immediate disposal of such equipment.
The dietary manager's responses to inspectors suggested confusion about responsibility between different kitchen operations and basic food safety requirements. His assertion that handwashing wasn't needed during extended food service contradicts federal guidelines designed to prevent cross-contamination.
The inspection occurred following a complaint, though the specific nature of the complaint was not detailed in the report. All 98 residents who consumed meals prepared by the facility were potentially affected by the food safety violations.
Federal inspectors classified the violations as causing minimal harm or potential for actual harm to few residents, but noted the deficient practices created risk for adverse health outcomes including foodborne illnesses.
The facility must develop a plan to correct the deficiencies, including proper staff training on hand hygiene, equipment cleaning schedules, and food storage protocols. The state survey agency will monitor compliance with corrective measures.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Timber Springs Transitional Care from 2025-09-12 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: June 20, 2026 · Our methodology
Timber Springs Transitional Care in Boise, ID was cited for violations during a health inspection on September 12, 2025.
Inspectors found Supreme Salad Mix that had expired five years earlier, in November 2020.
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.