 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||
| Oct 2006 Newsletter | 
|
|
Top 5 Things to Do 1. Identify the nursing homes in your area and set up appointments to tour. 2. Speak with the Food Service Director during your visit, and if available the Registered Dietitian. 3. Tour each facility to assess living conditions, including a tour of the dining areas, preferably during a meal. 4. Ask questions about menus, how are resident likes/dislikes handled. 5. Talk to residents, families and friends about the meals and dining services. Selecting a nursing home or assisted care facility must be based on the individual�s needs. Determine the specific nutrition and dining needs of your loved one. Consider need for speech and or occupational therapy due to a recent stroke. Most nursing and assisted care facilities provide for special diet needs due to diabetes or other chronic medical condition. Dining services often differ in the type of meal service and menu choices. Assisted Living Facilities often provide more choices with meals, but not always. Residents in assisted living are usually expected to be able to have meals in the dining room and require no assistance with eating. Skilled nursing facilities provide therapy services needed for chewing/swallowing and eating problems. The type of dining services offered varies widely. Some nursing facilities provide fine dining for residents that are independent. Others provide either separate dining areas or different dining times for residents that are dependent and less aware of their surroundings. During your tour of the facility, ask to see the dining room(s) during mealtime. Observe for the following: 1. Are residents seating in groups and being served their food together? 2. Are the residents well groomed? 3. Does the food look and smell appetizing. 4. Is the dining room clean, free of odors and well lit? 5. Other amenities include tablecloths, quiet music, and no distractions by TV or loud music. 6. Observe the interactions between the nursing staff and the residents. Is the staff courteous, friendly and helpful? Before leaving the facility, ask to meet with the Food Service Director. Ask to see the current menus and discuss how food likes and dislikes are handled. Keeping in mind the needs of your loved one, you should be able to select the facility which best meets these needs. Nanette Showalter, Registered Dietitian |
|
info@seniorsteps.net © 2006 Senior Steps Inc. All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy |