Lincoln County Care Center: Food Safety Violations - ID
Federal inspectors found multiple food safety violations during an April inspection that placed all residents at risk for food-borne illness. The facility failed to properly store, label, and serve food according to professional standards.
In the walk-in refrigerator, inspectors discovered a large, opened package of provolone cheese with no use-by date marked. The pantry contained three bags of cookies dated April 8 with a use-by date of April 11 — but inspectors found them on April 12, one day after they had expired. A bag of sliced cake sat nearby with no date at all.
The walk-in freezer held an opened box of enchiladas dated March 24 with no use-by date marked, violating FDA Food Code requirements that ready-to-eat refrigerated foods be clearly marked to indicate when they must be consumed or discarded.
Food service problems extended beyond storage. On April 12 at 11:48 AM, inspectors observed dietary staff delivering meal trays to resident rooms with uncovered bowls of gelatin dessert. Two days later, they watched staff deliver trays containing uncovered plates of sliced cake.
A staff member told inspectors on April 14 that she was not aware all food on dietary trays delivered to resident rooms must be covered.
The facility's cleaning documentation proved equally problematic. On April 14 at 1:40 PM, inspectors observed a daily cleaning log marked completed with X's for every day of the week — Sunday through Saturday.
Two minutes later, the dietary aide explained she did not have a new cleaning log, so she continued using the same one. The dietary manager confirmed the daily cleaning log should have been replaced with a new one for the current week but had not been.
Federal regulations require ready-to-eat foods held in refrigeration to be clearly marked with the date by which they must be consumed, sold, or discarded when held at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less for a maximum of seven days. The day of preparation counts as Day 1.
The violations affected the facility's entire food service operation. Lincoln County Care Center prepares meals in its kitchen for all residents, meaning the deficient practices had the potential to affect everyone who received facility-prepared meals.
Food safety failures in nursing homes can lead to serious health consequences for vulnerable elderly residents, whose immune systems may be compromised. Proper food labeling, storage temperatures, and covering of served food help prevent bacterial growth and contamination that can cause food-borne illnesses.
The inspection found the facility failed to maintain basic food safety protocols across multiple areas: storage labeling, temperature control, food covering during service, and accurate documentation of cleaning procedures.
Staff members demonstrated a lack of awareness about fundamental food safety requirements, with one employee unaware that food must be covered during delivery to residents. The dietary manager's acknowledgment that cleaning logs should have been replaced but were not suggests ongoing supervision problems in the kitchen operation.
The expired cookies found in the pantry represented a clear violation of FDA guidelines designed to prevent residents from consuming potentially harmful food. Similarly, the unmarked provolone cheese and enchiladas created risks because staff could not determine how long the products had been stored or when they should be discarded.
Lincoln County Care Center received a minimal harm citation for the food safety violations, but inspectors noted the deficient practices placed residents at risk for potential food contamination and adverse health outcomes including food-borne illnesses.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Lincoln County Care Center from 2026-04-15 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 12, 2026 · Our methodology
Lincoln County Care Center in Shoshone, ID was cited for violations during a health inspection on April 15, 2026.
Federal inspectors found multiple food safety violations during an April inspection that placed all residents at risk for food-borne illness.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened at Lincoln County Care Center?
- Federal inspectors found multiple food safety violations during an April inspection that placed all residents at risk for food-borne illness.
- How serious are these violations?
- Violation severity varies from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the inspection report for specific deficiency codes and scope. All violations must be corrected within required timeframes and are subject to follow-up verification inspections.
- What should families do?
- Families should: (1) Ask facility administration about specific corrective actions taken, (2) Request to see the follow-up inspection report verifying corrections, (3) Check if this represents a pattern by reviewing prior inspection reports, (4) Compare this facility's ratings with other nursing homes in Shoshone, ID, (5) Report any new concerns directly to state authorities.
- Where can I see the full inspection report?
- The complete inspection report is available on Medicare.gov's Care Compare website (www.medicare.gov/care-compare). You can also request a copy directly from Lincoln County Care Center or from the state Department of Health. The report includes specific deficiency codes, facility responses, and correction timelines. This facility's federal provider number is 135056.
- Has this facility had violations before?
- To check Lincoln County Care Center's history, visit Medicare.gov's Care Compare and review their inspection history, quality ratings, and staffing levels. Look for patterns of repeated violations, especially in critical areas like abuse prevention, medication management, infection control, and resident safety.