Cascade Terrace: Food Safety Violations Found - OR
PORTLAND, OR - Federal inspectors found multiple food safety violations and administrative failures at Cascade Terrace Post Acute during an April 2025 inspection, including unlabeled food items in nursing station refrigerators and an improperly installed ice machine that posed contamination risks.
Food Storage and Labeling Violations Raise Safety Concerns
The inspection revealed significant food safety violations across multiple areas of the facility. In nursing station refrigerators, inspectors discovered numerous unlabeled and undated food items that posed potential health risks to residents.
At Nursing Station One, staff stored two unlabeled containers of peanut butter, an undated coffee mug containing liquid and ice, and an opened 32-ounce nutritional shake without any date marking. When questioned, the licensed practical nurse on duty acknowledged the violations and stated that items "need to be labeled with the date they were opened so the nursing staff would know when they were opened."
Similar violations were found at Nursing Station Three, where staff had stored an opened, undated nutritional shake and an employee's personal Monster Energy drink. The LPN at this station recognized the opened shake should be discarded, stating "there was no way to know when it was opened."
These violations directly contradict the facility's own food safety policy, which requires all food to be labeled and dated when opened to prevent contamination and spoilage. Proper food labeling is essential in healthcare settings because unlabeled items can harbor dangerous bacteria that multiply over time, potentially causing foodborne illnesses in vulnerable populations.
Ice Machine Contamination Risk Identified
Inspectors uncovered a serious contamination risk involving the facility's only ice machine, which serves beverages to all residents. The machine's drainage system was improperly installed, with the drain pipe passing directly through the wall and emptying into an outdoor garden area next to the facility's smoking gazebo.
The drainage system lacked the required air gap, which is a critical safety feature designed to prevent contaminated water from flowing back into the ice machine. Without this protection, bacteria, chemicals, and other contaminants from the outdoor environment could potentially enter the ice supply that residents consume daily.
The facility's administrator acknowledged the problem, stating the current drain system "involved the risk of contamination from the outside." This violation represents a significant public health concern, as contaminated ice can transmit various waterborne diseases and infections to residents who already have compromised immune systems.
Medical Significance of Food Safety Violations
Food safety violations in nursing homes carry heightened medical significance due to the vulnerable nature of the resident population. Elderly individuals often have weakened immune systems, making them more susceptible to foodborne illnesses that could be mild in healthy adults but potentially life-threatening for nursing home residents.
Unlabeled and undated food items create several health risks. Bacterial growth accelerates in opened nutritional products, particularly protein-rich items like nutritional shakes. Consuming spoiled nutrition supplements can cause gastrointestinal distress, dehydration, and nutritional deficiencies in residents who may already struggle with maintaining adequate nutrition.
The ice machine contamination risk is particularly concerning because ice is used in beverages consumed daily by residents. Contaminated ice can harbor Legionella bacteria, E. coli, and other pathogens that cause serious infections. For elderly residents with chronic conditions like diabetes or respiratory diseases, such infections can lead to hospitalizations or worse outcomes.
Data source: This article is based on inspection data downloaded directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) via Medicare.gov. CMS releases inspection reports in bulk; we publish the findings as documented by state surveyors in the official Form CMS-2567 Statement of Deficiencies.
Plan of correction: The CMS report we receive does not include the facility's plan of correction. Facilities submit plans of correction separately to state survey agencies and those responses may not be reflected in CMS data at the time of publication. The absence of a plan of correction in our data does not mean one was not filed. Readers who want information about corrective steps taken are encouraged to contact the facility directly or their state survey agency.
Corrections may have occurred: Inspection reports reflect conditions observed on the date of the survey. Facilities may have implemented corrections, staffing changes, additional training, or other remediation since the report was issued. We report what CMS provides and encourage readers to seek current information from the facility.
Editorial process: Inspection findings are extracted from CMS source documents and synthesized using AI, reviewed for factual accuracy against the original report by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: September 19, 2026 · Our methodology
CASCADE TERRACE POST ACUTE in PORTLAND, OR was cited for violations during a health inspection on April 28, 2025.
In nursing station refrigerators, inspectors discovered numerous unlabeled and undated food items that posed potential health risks to residents.
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.