Activities And Dietary

[mashonda 0]

I have a question for all. The dietary manager and I were approached by the Admin. and we were challenged to come up with a system where the residents could choose their meals (primarily the alert and oriented residents).

 

For example, if you stay at a hotel and they have a menu that you can hang on your door for room service. You circle a choice of meat, a vegetable, a dessert and so forth. THen according to how many resident's want what, dietary can order the food supply according. I was wondering if any other facility has something like this and if so, how well do you think it works and I would be interested in talking with you if your building has something like this.

 

We currently have a set menu and if they don't want the main item, there is one main alternate.

 

Ideas, and suggestions helpful.

[Guest Tinki]

I have worked in Assisted Living Facilities in the past and there was always at least two choices of main course and sides. The residents would pick what the wanted for lunch and dinner on a form given out at breakfast. The dietary would use that to decided how much to make of what. I guess she would make extra of all. I don't know how that would affected the ordering, but I that all the AL facilities I have worked with have at least two choices at all meals.

 

Karen :-D

[StacieO 0]

We started a choice menu plan here not quite a year ago & it's going well. The choice menu is for the Noon meal & evening meal, breakfast is a set menu (we do an "open breakfast" every Wednesday). Anyway, at each table is a menu for that meal & it lists the main course choice & the vegetable choice. Staff ask the resident what they want & get it right there. We don't ask them the meal ahead in other words. Our dietary manager felt this was the best way to start & it has worked. To begin with, she had her staff make about 1/2 & 1/2 of each choice & through the months, they've been able to determine which menu items are more popular, so they are sure to have plenty of servings of that. Occassionally they do run out & we deal w/ that when it happens. But - for the most part, our residents really enjoy it!

[mashonda 0]

Thanks Stacie and Tinki, that was helpful. Gives me some ideas of how to go about this.

[Crysty 0]

Where I used to work we did something similar to this, we had a buffet style lunch and dinner, again brkfst was set. They would have a choice between beef and chicken, vegetables etc and the staff would go around with pads of paper (like waitresses) and ask what they would like, they also had two desserts, the residents loved it. We would go get the food from the buffet, unless someone was able to do it themselves. It was set up in the dining room, when it was our turn to work we would wear black pants and white shirts. It was a "dining experience" not just a meal.