Meeting the special dietary needs for those living in Senior Housing

The number of Assisted Living Centers and Nursing Homes will explode as aging baby boomers enter the arena. Many boomers have watched their parents go through the process and have witnessed first-hand instances of neglect and lack of personalization. They will not subject themselves to the same treatment. Many boomers are used to living a certain way, and eating is no exception. Our clients, in particular, have more of a need for dietary specialization due to intolerance and allergy. According to most surveys and research done on assisted living facilities, the mealtime experience is always identified as the first or second most unsatisfactory. Recently, we have been asked to explore the quality of menus currently available.

We focused on six random facilities, taking into account size (number of residents and locations), for profit or non profit, national and/or Illinois-centric, nursing and/or assisted living. We have no association or interest in any of them. We examined several issues we thought would be of interest to our clients.

1. What is the quality of the food and menu?
2. Do they accommodate for special dietary needs?
3. How is the food prepared (chef or food service)?
4. Has a health professional helped create and periodically evaluates the menu?

In our opinion, only one out of the six facilities passed muster.

VERY GOOD

Senior Lifestyle Corporation (24 locations in IL, many with different names, and more in the US)
They were far and away the best of the lot in terms of quality of food, variety of menu, senior-specific nutrition, and commitment to educating residents about wellness through their menus. In fact, this group calls their mealtime experience "Dining for Wellness." It ties directly into their award-winning "Fit for Life" wellness plan. The food is prepared by an in-house food service and is constantly tweaked by nutritionists. Special dietary needs are accommodated.

AVERAGE

Belmont Village (4 locations in IL and several others in the US).
They have a wide variety of menu options to choose from which can accommodate many specific dietary needs. Food is prepared fresh daily by in-house chef. There are many impressive menu items, but Belmont did not fare better in our opinion because they use many "fat-free" dressings and condiments, offer "sugar-free" items, hot dogs, hamburgers, and Jell-O.

BELOW AVERAGE

Friendship Village of Schaumburg (only IL location)
The menu is loaded with heavy sauces, cream soups, and gravy.

Pathways Senior Living (multiple IL locations).
Standard American Diet fare including sugar-free dessert offerings.

Sunrise Senior Living (23 locations in IL and more around the US).
Standard American Diet fare with protein-less breakfasts, heavy lunches, and dinners that include "assorted dessert tray." Limited menu selection.

Lexington Health Care (multiple IL locations).
Does accommodate for special dietary needs. However, a recent daily menu included items such as "Ambrosia Jell-O Cubes with Whip Topping", margarine, frosted banana cake, breaded fish fillet, and egg drop soup.

GENERAL NOTE
All of the facilities' menus are overseen by health professionals.

TIPS TO HELP YOU MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION

Visit as many facilities as you can to get a sense of the kind of choices you will have. Make sure they are licensed and/or accredited. Check your state's website for any complaints against the facility you are interested in. If need be, seek out the advice of a Geriatric Care Manager or Ombudsman/Patient Advocate.

Visit at different times of the day and on a weekend to observe the routines and activities. Make surprise visits to the places you are seriously considering, and arrange for an overnight stay before making a final decision. Eat a meal at the facility. Is the food healthy? Do you have a choice of main course? Do you have input into meal planning or have options to eat ethnic or specialty foods? Are the residents provided a suitable area for eating? Are healthy snacks available at all times? Are utensils and serving dishes senior-friendly and clean? Is mealtime a pleasant experience? Are those who need help with eating cared for with dignity and respect? If you live nearby and want to bring food in, is it allowed? Can the residents eat in their rooms?

Food Safety is a major issue. Many senior illnesses occur because of food safety. In this case, no question is a dumb question. This link has a checklist of important questions to ask when visiting the cafeteria/meal area.

CONCLUSION

Not only is it essential that senior living centers make quality, variety, and safety of their menus a priority, they need to vastly improve their overall nutrition. Seniors require many more nutrients than young to middle-aged adults for optimum function. Many of our health care dollars could be saved by accomplishing simple nutritional tasks.

Many have saved hard-earned dollars and/or invested in long-term care to maintain or improve your lifestyle into the later years. Help yourselves and others by not settling for average and below average food. Demand quality, individualized, dietary-specific menus.