I recently had a meal at an assisted living facility not far from where I live. My 91-year-old mother is considering moving there and we were invited since she’s on the waiting list.
Mom currently lives in a facility that has been purchased twice in the last two years by mega-corporations. When she first moved in, the place was great – good food, lots of activities, great staff. After about three years, the first purchase happened, quickly followed by the second takeover. The paint on the new sign was barely dry when they had to redo it with the new corporate name.
Now, the staff is still great, but much smaller. There are fewer activities planned and the food has definitely suffered. Same chef, less budget. At the same time, it looks like the rent will be raised yet again in the coming months.
Our meal at the new facility was an eye-opener. There was an actual menu with lovely items like crab cakes and fish tacos. The specials were meat lasagna and short ribs. And the salad bar was large and varied enough to easily make a great lunch or dinner. The quality of the food can be described as “fresh and well-prepared.”
My favorite part, however, was the presentation. The food was presented like a fine restaurant with attention to arrangement and color. The portions were not large – older people don’t like large portions as they don’t eat as much as they did in younger days. They were raised not to waste food and therefore large portions are distressing to them.
It occurred to me that this attention to food quality and appearance is one of the more important services offered by this facility for several reasons: older people are not as active with the rest of their lives, therefore mealtime is a significant part of their day. It is important to make the food appealing so the residents are encouraged to eat and get enough nutrition. It is also important that visitors have a positive experience so they are satisfied their loved ones are being well cared for. There is quite a contrast between this facility and the mega-corporation-owned place where Mom currently lives and it’s no wonder this place has a waiting list!
Helster777 