Congregate Dining
When residents build relationships with one another, they benefit emotionally, mentally and physically. One way to build community and develop connections among your residents is to implement congregate dining. This style of dining, offered by many senior care homes, brings residents together to enjoy meals throughout the day. It encourages socialization, breaks down barriers, enhances cognitive functioning and improves hydration and nourishment.
There has been much research over the years to support these experiences. Researchers conducted a study to examine the effects of congregate dining. Over a six-month period, those who enjoyed family-style meals experienced stable body weight, energy intake, and physical performance while those who did not showed decline in those three areas. Residents can bond and develop relationships while sharing meals, improving their emotional and mental well-being.
Recent trends also indicate that residents both prefer and benefit from more control over their meal experience. This encourages residents to partake in family-style dining, as does an inviting environment with comfortable seating and motivated staff available to answer requests.
Congregate feeding helps improves your residents hydration and nutritional status, quality of life, and resident/family satisfaction.
Here are some effective Alluserv ways to integrate this style of dining in your senior living facility.
- Consider introducing induction plates, which are designed to preserve food integrity by keeping meals hot for 30 minutes. It allows you to move away from an institutional look, allowing appetizing meals to be served on fine china. The plate rim is cool to the touch and can be placed right on the table in front of them. Resident safety is optimized with this type of plate too.
- Multi-Temp carts give you added convenience and freedom with separate heated and chilled compartments to keep food at safer temperatures for extended periods of time without sacrificing food quality. Less energy is used in the kitchen and staff interaction with patients increases, as they are in the dining room at all times.
- Mobile food carts in dining rooms engage residents to sight, smell and cognitive function while choosing their food.
- To keep conversations flowing even longer, a dessert cart or chilled cover cart would be an excellent choice. It appeals to the sense of sight and smell, enhancing the dining experience.
For more info on congregate feeding and its benefits click here.
Give Alluserv a call at (888) 892-2213 or email us at info@alluserv.com to get started in elevating your senior resident dining program.
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