At the end of the day, foodservice in senior care communities is just a form of hospitality. Rather than guests going home after a weeklong stay, though, residents are there for much longer periods of time, often for the rest of their lives. This makes it even more important for foodservice to have a strong advocate in senior care dining rooms.
But why?
Mealtimes are often some of the most important moments of the day, not just because they provide important nourishment for senior care populations, but also because they create space for socialization. With socialization comes the all-important mental health benefits. It’s important for senior care foodservice directors to understand the impacts their service can have, and the best way to realize this is to be in the dining room with guests and residents.
Simply put, registered dieticians and senior care foodservice directors don’t get into the dining rooms enough because they are drowning in paperwork, charting, ordering, staffing, regulations, scheduling, and so much more. Maybe it’s simply a matter of being too busy. Maybe it’s because you can’t measure the impact of being face-to-face with residents. Maybe it’s because walking the floor doesn’t fit on a spreadsheet. Either way, it doesn’t diminish the impact a director can have in the dining room, observing what is actually going on, speaking to residents about their preferences, and creating positive change. You can’t overestimate the impact of an end-product meal, but you have to be present in order to observe it.
So how can directors stay in front of residents at mealtime?
Service is something done to you. Hospitality is the way you make someone feel. When foodservice directors in senior care communities take a hospitality-driven approach, it means they’re committed to seeing the impacts of their service. Getting into the dining room is important, but it isn’t always easy.
The SuzyQ meal delivery system by Lakeside is a unique solution that allows operators to serve meals tableside or in the comfort of a resident’s room. Carts are heated for preserving food quality, but even more important, this type of function allows residents to self-choose their own meals. Not only does the element of choice provide much-needed control for residents, but it also reduces the amount of food waste by up to 50 percent.
For operators and foodservice directors, this is the perfect opportunity to get in front of residents by being the one to literally serve their meals tableside. If a personal connection is the goal, it doesn’t get any easier than with a SuzyQ meal delivery system.