Resident 17 told inspectors the food "tasted like shit" and complained that "they could starve a bird with the food they serve here." The resident said he received only toast and coffee for breakfast on December 28.
When inspectors tested meal temperatures on December 29, they found popcorn chicken served at 97.5 degrees — cold to the taste and difficult to chew due to excessive breading. Rice reached only 98.6 degrees, while Brussels sprouts measured 94.1 degrees and appeared brown and mushy.
The Brussels sprouts were "dark green/brown colored" and cold, while a pineapple dessert with cinnamon crumble registered just 63.8 degrees and had "a strange combination of flavors," according to the inspection report.
Resident 2 confirmed that food was consistently served cold. Resident 16 said the popcorn chicken on December 29 was "all breading and it looked horrible," prompting her to skip lunch entirely.
Inspectors observed the meal preparation process and discovered systematic equipment failures. Kitchen staff member Name 1 plated food and placed plates into warming bases, but ran out of the proper equipment by 12:41 PM and began using hot pellets directly under plates — a practice that violated the facility's own procedures.
The Dietary Supervisor explained that proper protocol required using a liner base, then a pellet in the base, followed by the plate and a dome cover. Staff were not supposed to use pellets without the liner base, but the facility lacked sufficient bases for all residents.
"There were not enough bases for all the residents in the facility," the Dietary Supervisor admitted to inspectors.
The pellets should be heated until staff cannot touch them, the supervisor explained, but by the time meals reached residents, the heating elements had cooled significantly.
Kitchen staff member Name 2 confirmed the equipment shortage, stating that pellets were used when cooks ran out of proper liners. The staff member said pellets became "really hot" when warmed but cooled enough to touch by the time they reached residents.
Resident council meeting minutes revealed a pattern of food complaints stretching back nearly a year. Cold food complaints appeared in meetings on January 7, February 4, March 5, and May 6. By June 3, cold food was no longer listed among ongoing concerns being tracked.
The Dietary Supervisor acknowledged the complaints but claimed recent staff turnover in the kitchen had reduced food-related grievances over the past five months.
During the December 29 observation, inspectors watched the entire meal service process. The last tray was plated at 12:45 PM, meal carts were positioned outside the kitchen at 12:48 PM, and the final tray reached residents at 12:58 PM — a 13-minute window during which food temperatures continued dropping.
The test tray inspectors examined contained Brussels sprouts that were "dark green/brown colored," brown popcorn chicken, white rice, a yellow dessert, and a roll in a plastic bag. None of the hot food items met safe serving temperatures.
Federal regulations require nursing homes to serve food that is palatable, attractive, and at safe temperatures. The violation affected at least three of the 19 residents inspectors sampled, though the equipment shortages and resident council complaints suggest the problem was more widespread.
The inspection found minimal harm or potential for actual harm to residents, but the months-long pattern of cold food service and equipment failures raised questions about the facility's ability to maintain basic nutrition standards for its vulnerable population.
Resident 16's decision to skip lunch entirely rather than eat the unappetizing popcorn chicken highlighted the real-world impact of the violations — residents choosing hunger over meals they found inedible.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Crestwood Rehabilitation and Nursing from 2025-12-30 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.