Q:  What are the most important factors when menu planning for seniors?

There are several factors I consider – whether the food tastes good; like familiar foods e.g. classic meatloaf, pot roast; sometimes adventurous foods; presentation is key – must look good, be colorful and balanced

Q:  What does a healthy meal look like? At breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?

Breakfast – pretty open for what they want such as scrambled eggs, breakfast meat, and a grain such as waffles, pancakes, toast – especially raisin toast, they love raisin toast.

Lunch – a balance between sandwiches and a hot meal – roast beef dip, pasta bake; fresh made daily soups – made from scratch as store-bought are too full of sodium

Dinner – the heaviest meal as this is most preferred by the residents. I provide 2 different options at both meals – soup of the day, garden salad and then beef or pork and a choice of chicken or fish – a vegetable and starch – the latter changes with every meal – I provide a large variety and if for example, someone doesn’t like the potatoes with one meal we can substitute it with starch from another meal – we are flexible.

Q:  When do you serve the largest meal of the day – lunch or dinner? Why?

Dinner as that’s what they like

Q:  How do you handle catering to special diets?

With special diets, I first discuss the diet with the resident. I train my staff on special diets – chopped, mechanical soft, pureed – we are not intimidated by special diets. We try to give them the same presentation as the regular food. For diets such as vegetarian we don’t just give them sides – we understand what kind of meals they had at home and design a menu for them based on that – we want to make them feel at home.

Q:  Where do you source your foods? Costco? Farmer’s market? Other? Why this approach? Impact of the seasons on your food choices?

“other” – there are state regulations in California as to where you can source your foods – for example, you cannot go to farmer’s markets.  You can go to Costco but I don’t. I use a local produce supplier in Nipomo and then most of what I need comes from Cisco.

Q:  How do you decide on portion sizes? Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?

Portion sizes are regulated in California as well as our company has guidelines. We set the portion sizes and then allow people to have more or less as desired

Q:  I hear that as we age we have less taste buds and it is more difficult to detect salt and bitterness. Do you believe this and if so how do you address this for your residents?

My residents are super salt-sensitive – they notice – we manage by providing salt on the low end – meals are not too sweet or salty – and we have salt and pepper shakers in the dining room if they need more flavoring.

Q:  Do you believe certain foods enhance brain function, increase mental performance, and decrease the risk of memory loss for older adults? If you do, what foods do you serve to address this?

I believe the amount of sugar can affect long term mental state.  Not sure of foods that address brain function.

Q:  What role do snacks play for your residents?

Snacks play a huge role in our community – they are used as an activity e.g. happy hours, summertime popsicles and ice cream sandwiches and more.

Q:  What resident menu requests do you find the most difficult to handle?

We can handle anything

Q:  How do you ensure your residents get enough water and stay hydrated?

We have a hydration station in the lobby – residents pass it three times a day – it features water, cranberry juice, OJ and snacks such as fresh fruit, cookies, chips and pretzels

Q:  How does meal planning differ for assisted living versus memory care, if at all?

No difference – the menu is the same in both communities.

Q:  What role do your residents play in menu planning?

A big role – we have a food council that meets once a month with myself.  It is open to all and we usually have 10-20 come and give feedback – I ask them about old favorites and the recipes – I then incorporate these ideas into the menu

Q:  How has COVID-19 impacted your kitchen and operations, if at all?

It has made it very challenging for dining in the dining room – when there are active cases the dining room is closed. We then offer room service – the same meals are delivered in warming carts, we go door to door serving meals in the rooms 3 times a day. Once we are clear again we will open up again but then 2 weeks later we closed down again. It’s been almost a year of back and forth – our first shutdown was in last March and for 7 months.  It has been up and down but we hope to open again next week.