ELKINS, WV. Food Service Manager #61 acknowledged that turkey stock sitting in the kitchen refrigerator should have been thrown out over the weekend, but residents at Nella's at Autumn Lake Healthcare were still being served food prepared in conditions that violated basic safety standards.
Federal inspectors found the turkey stock had been made December 19 and lacked any use-by date when discovered December 29. The manager admitted it should have been discarded by December 27.
Expired flour tortillas with a November 11 use-by date sat on a prep table more than six weeks past expiration. The food service manager threw them away when inspectors pointed them out.
Multiple cases of disposable plates, cups and utensils sat directly on the kitchen floor. When asked if this was acceptable, the manager said yes because the items were boxed and individually wrapped.
An opened bag of breadcrumbs in dry storage wasn't properly sealed or labeled with dates. A bag of parmesan cheese had no open date or use-by date. Sliced bologna in the walk-in refrigerator had no label or date at all.
One steam table pan of gelatin was covered with torn plastic film and dated December 20 with no use-by date. The manager acknowledged it should have been discarded by December 27.
Kitchen equipment showed signs of neglect throughout the facility. The can opener was soiled with debris. Two ovens contained food debris and needed cleaning. One oven rack sat directly on the floor instead of on top of the oven where it belonged.
The two-door reach-in refrigerator had debris and liquid spills. Ice had built up in the walk-in freezer. The industrial mixer wasn't covered when not in use.
The food service manager told inspectors he didn't have an equipment cleaning schedule but was working on creating one. The violations affected all 96 residents at the facility.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Nella's At Autumn Lake Healthcare from 2025-12-30 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.