Inspectors found the facility failed to serve food safely during both days of their visit. Staff who normally work outside the kitchen were preparing resident meals without basic safety equipment, expired products remained in storage after their discard dates, and the dishwashing area was caked with food debris.
On the morning of January 29, inspectors observed two department directors working in the kitchen preparing meal trays without hairnets. When questioned, the Social Service Director acknowledged they should have put on hair nets before entering the kitchen workspace.
Inside the walk-in refrigerator, inspectors discovered a one-gallon jug of ranch dressing that had been opened on December 29, 2025 — 17 days after its December 12 expiration date. The Dietary Manager admitted the expired dressing should have been removed from the refrigerator.
The dishwashing room showed signs of poor sanitation. Food particles and debris had built up on top of the dishwasher and accumulated along the floor underneath the metal dishwasher tables. The Dietary Manager acknowledged the dishwasher and dish room floors should have been cleaned thoroughly.
The problems continued the next day. On January 30, inspectors found two full gallon jugs of two percent milk in the walk-in refrigerator, both expired as of January 29. The Regional Dietary Director confirmed the expired milk should have been removed.
The facility's own policy, dated November 29, 2019, requires food to be stored and prepared "in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner." The Administrator provided inspectors with a copy of this Food Storage policy during the inspection.
The violations affected food safety protocols that protect all residents who receive meals from the facility's kitchen. Federal regulations require nursing homes to procure food from approved sources and handle it according to professional standards throughout storage, preparation, distribution and service.
Hair restraints prevent contamination when staff handle food. Expired products can harbor harmful bacteria that pose particular risks to elderly residents with compromised immune systems. Dirty food preparation surfaces create additional contamination hazards.
The inspection occurred in response to complaints filed against the facility. Two separate complaint intakes — numbered 2725718 and 2700986 — triggered the federal review that uncovered the food safety violations.
Waters of Martinsville operates at 2055 Heritage Drive in Martinsville. The facility must submit a plan of correction to address the deficiencies and prevent future food safety violations.
Federal inspectors classified the violations as causing minimal harm or potential for actual harm to residents. However, the problems affected many residents who rely on the facility's kitchen for their daily meals.
The presence of non-kitchen staff preparing food without proper safety equipment suggests potential staffing issues in the dietary department. Activity Directors and Social Service Directors typically focus on resident programming and care coordination rather than food service operations.
The accumulation of debris in the dishwashing area indicates ongoing sanitation problems rather than isolated incidents. Proper cleaning protocols require regular removal of food particles and thorough sanitization of food preparation surfaces.
Expired dairy products and condiments create particular food safety risks. Milk past its expiration date can develop harmful bacteria, while opened ranch dressing beyond its discard date may support bacterial growth that could cause foodborne illness in vulnerable elderly residents.
The facility's 2019 food storage policy establishes clear standards that staff failed to follow during the inspection. The gap between written policies and actual practices highlights implementation failures in the dietary department's daily operations.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Waters of Martinsville, The from 2026-01-30 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.