Thousands of food safety violations were discovered in the last three years in America’s nursing homes, according to an article on the NBC News website.
A five-month investigation by FairWarning, based on inspection reports, federal data and interviews with residents and long-term care experts, found that residents nationwide are at risk for foodborne illness from unsafe kitchens.
Across the country, 230 foodborne illness outbreaks were reported from 1998 to 2017 in long-term care settings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreaks resulted in 54 deaths and 532 hospitalizations, and sickened 7,648 people.
Unsafe food handling was the third most frequently cited violation last year inside America’s estimated 15,700 nursing homes, behind only infection control and accidents, according to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which regulates nursing homes that receive federal money.