| Culture change is making its way throughout | | | | between 11:30am and 1:30pm; and dinner will be |
| nursing homes and other long-term care settings | | | | served between 4:30pm (for the "early birds") |
| across the nation and one of the most exciting | | | | until 6:30pm for those who prefer it later. Flexible |
| innovations in culture change is in the dietary | | | | meal times offers choice and freedom to |
| department. Some people believe that the kitchen | | | | residents and simply makes the meal experience |
| has been one of the most forgotten and | | | | better, because they can choose when they |
| underrated place within long-term care. But, not | | | | prefer to eat. |
| any more! Many facilities that implement | | | | Another goal of change in dietary services is to |
| person-centered care as a part of their culture | | | | be innovative and creative in how food is served. |
| change start in the kitchen because it can lead to | | | | Some of the more common dinning styles utilized |
| significant improvements in the quality of dietary | | | | in long-term care facilities include buffet-style |
| services. Everyone looks forward to great food | | | | dinning, restaurant-style dinning, 24-hour room |
| and how food is served, and these changes are | | | | service, and open access to food. These styles |
| highly visible to residents, their families, and staff. | | | | offer more choice to residents and can make |
| Also, there are endless possibilities and | | | | meal times more enjoyable. Buffet-style dinning |
| opportunities for change in dietary. | | | | involves a hot steam table in a central area |
| Hippocrates made the connection between food | | | | (dinning room) or placed in multiple sites within the |
| and health over 2000 years ago. He said "Let | | | | facility (i.e. on each unit or wing). Many facilities |
| food be your medicine". Food is a very important | | | | have indicated that the buffet works very well |
| part of health and in addition to its nourishing | | | | for breakfast. Restaurant-style dinning can be |
| aspects, food has the power to heal and comfort | | | | used in the main dinning room and those |
| people. Food is also a powerful symbol of | | | | employees working in the dinning room can wear |
| nurturing, love and celebration. But, food has to be | | | | chef coats and black pants, to create a |
| attractive and desired. It has to be served in | | | | restaurant atmosphere. A restaurant-style menu |
| ways that appeal to people. Uneaten food has no | | | | is placed on each table and residents order |
| nutritional value and does nothing but go to waste. | | | | whatever they wish from it. The menu can be |
| Remember, meals many times are often the | | | | changed once a month, quarterly or seasonally. |
| highlight of our resident's day. | | | | Many facilities have always offered room service, |
| One goal of making dietary changes is to bring in | | | | but perhaps never called it "room service" and |
| the concept of "home" as much as possible to the | | | | indicated that it was available 24-hours a day. This |
| dinning experience. Think of your own homes. You | | | | is a nice feature for residents who are up at night |
| can find and have a snack anytime you want. You | | | | and prefer to sleep throughout the day. It is also |
| can make a meal for yourself or for your entire | | | | a nice option for family visitors who work odd |
| family. You can drink what you want when you | | | | shifts and visit their loved one during late evening |
| want. You can put on a fresh pot of coffee, | | | | hours. And finally, all residents, family and staff |
| make tea, have a glass of ice water or whatever | | | | may have access to snacks 24-hours a day by |
| else you wish. You can eat with your family, in | | | | creating or building small, kitchenette areas in the |
| front of the television, while reading, or chatting | | | | facility. And, don't stock it with just healthy |
| on the phone with friends. You make a grocery | | | | snacks. Stock it with what residents and families |
| list, hang it on the refrigerator, anyone can add to | | | | want. |
| it, and then you go shopping. Just as we choose | | | | Other innovations in dinning include a private |
| foods to eat, resident councils choose their own | | | | dinning room for special occasions, dinning areas |
| menus. Ethnic food choices are also important to | | | | that have a warm and comfortable appearance, |
| consider. | | | | bread- and cookie-baking throughout the day to |
| Another goal when making changes in dietary is | | | | create a more homelike atmosphere and to |
| to offer flexible meal times. In person-centered | | | | stimulate the diet, replacing 4-top tables with |
| care, the point is to de-institutionalize meal times | | | | larger dinning room tables that seat 8 or more |
| and the dining experience. To facilitate residents | | | | people, natural lighting or attractive lighting, salt |
| sleeping in later in the morning, we must develop | | | | and pepper shakers, hot sauce, and sugar bowls |
| systems to serve meals to our residents at the | | | | placed on each table, and kitchenettes complete |
| times they choose to eat. We will have to | | | | with microwaves, small refrigerators, coffee pots, |
| become more flexible in how we think about food | | | | and storage space for snacks. |
| service. And as residents come and go we may | | | | Dietary services are important in long-term care |
| have to further tweak our dining services. Many | | | | and culture change is providing great ideas |
| long-term care facilities have decided to | | | | concerning how to become more innovative and |
| implement flexible meal schedules such as the | | | | creative with food and how it is served. Food is |
| following: breakfast will be offered between | | | | vital to life and the kinds of food and how it is |
| 7:30am to 9:30am weekdays and maybe slightly | | | | served should enhance the quality of life for |
| later on the weekends; lunch will be served | | | | residents in long-term care. |