CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A Canton senior living facility received a score of 61 out of 100 points during a May 11, 2026, health inspection conducted by the Georgia Department of Public Health, with the inspector noting nine repeat violations and calling for a reinspection within 10 days.

Chapters Living of Canton, located at 125 Riverstone Terrace in Canton, was cited for 16 violations spanning food temperature control, sanitation, employee health policies and administrative requirements, according to the inspection report.

Among the most serious findings were several priority violations related to food temperature safety. The inspector observed shredded cheese and cut lettuce being held at 52°F and 56°F on an ice bath — well above the required 41°F — and chicken being hot-held in a steam table at temperatures between 118°F and 140°F, below the required minimum of 135°F, according to the report. Both issues were corrected on the spot but were marked as repeat violations.

The inspector also found that meat sauce prepared for lunch had not been cooled from 135°F to 70°F within the required two-hour window, with the sauce registering 92°F at its center at 4:50 p.m., the report states. The inspector noted that staff who began the cooling process were no longer present for the dinner shift and dinner employees were unaware of how long the sauce had been cooling. The sauce was discarded.

Mold buildup was observed inside the bulk ice machine as well as on food storage shelves inside the walk-in cooler, according to the report. The inspector also noted that the dish machine was not dispensing chlorine at the required 50 parts per million concentration at the time of inspection, though that issue was corrected by taking the machine out of service and contacting a service provider.

The report flagged the absence of a verifiable employee health policy for caregivers and resident assistants as a repeat violation, noting that a caregiver was cutting chicken in the kitchen at the time of inspection. Employees who handle food must be informed of their responsibility to report health conditions that could be transmitted through food, the report states.

The inspector also cited an opened canned drink and personal tumblers stored on or near the food preparation counter where chicken was being cut — a repeat violation — along with caregivers and servers not wearing hair restraints while handling food.

On the administrative side, the report noted that the facility’s most recent inspection report and food service permit were not posted in public view, both repeat violations. The certified food safety manager certificate was also not displayed as required, according to the report.

The inspector noted in additional remarks that the facility serves a “highly susceptible population” and that active managerial control of the kitchen is the responsibility of the certified food safety manager and executive director. The inspector also suggested that increased staffing during serving hours may be needed, writing that relying on a single kitchen staff member was resulting in caregivers and servers without food service training assisting with food preparation.

The full inspection report is available via The Georgia Gazette.

A follow-up reinspection is expected within 10 days of the May 11 inspection, according to the report.