MEMORY CARE
Copper Ridge. For their dining programs, Integrace partners with Unidine Senior Living Culinary Group. We eat first with our eyes and that may
never be more important than to the resi- dent who needs puréed food, said Bill Rod- gers, general manager of Unidine Senior Living Culinary Group. So, at Copper Ridge, they thicken a resident’s meal to the right consistency and then pipe it out with pastry bags, so the plate of food actually looks like food. “If it looks like carrots, the brain will tell you it’s carrots. But if it looks like an orange ball on the plate, they may not even take the first bite,” he said. Any opportunity to restore a resident’s
independence should never be missed. The Bistro also offers “Fresh Bites” for those who have been prescribed finger foods or who may struggle to stay seated or hold utensils. “If eating is hard, we know they can lose interest and then not eat at all,” Rodgers said. Using chicken salad sandwiches on small brioche buns as an example, he said those who can’t sit through a meal can pick up one to eat while walking and then get redirected back to the food to have another. But one of the greatest benefits of The
Bistro may be that it offers families and loved ones a chance to eat together again, like they once did. Going out to eat in a restaurant can be overwhelming and apprehensive for both, Mitchell said, but now they have the chance to enjoy this experience in a welcoming and understanding environment. “The anxiety of cognitive challenges
often causes people to stay at home but now they come here and find they are also forming social and support networks.”
Watermark Retirement Communities Working with a grinding and food combi- nation process developed by Grind Dining, Inc., Watermark Retirement Communities, headquartered in Tucson, Ariz., branded their program Thrive Dining™. The program sup- ports those who have limited use of utensils and may have limited desire to eat with others. Whether individuals have cognitive is-
sues, Parkinson’s, or even dental problems, Thrive Dining offers a culinary solution
Thrive Dining pre-entree sorbet service at Watermark Retirement Communities
by serving a fully balanced meal with a program that also promotes dignity and independence, said Watermark’s national director of dining services, Rob Bobbitt. In fact, it’s the exact same food everyone else is eating; it’s just in finger food form. “We take the same food and convert it to
a Thrive Dining meal. In the past, finger friendly diets in senior living were usually fish sticks, chicken tenders, or sweet potato fries. But to have to eat that three times a day and for the rest of your life? Not at Wa- termark,” Bobbitt said. “Now you can have what’s on the menu just like everyone else.” Bobbitt added that they plate each meal
to look attractive. “Whenever we’re served a meal, we look at our plate first. The aroma comes second,” he said. “So we make sure to focus on the plate composition to be at- tractive and appealing [to the eye].” According to Bobbitt, it’s a priority that
what’s on the plate is a complete, balanced, and nutritional meal because if someone isn’t eating that, it leads to immediate health decline. But then Watermark takes it a few steps further.
They first give out warm hand towels
scented in lavender, rosemary, or a citrus base. “It’s great to see residents put it up to their face because it feels and smells so nice,” said Bobbitt. Next, they serve a citrus type of sorbet,
but not as a palate cleanser. “It’s actually been proven to increase meal intake. It causes you to salivate and is similar to the response when you walk into a kitchen when someone’s cooking. It triggers the same sen- sation,” Bobbitt said. “It’s amazing to watch the residents light up.” Dining is about much more than just nu- trition. It invokes so many memories and coming together with family. But it’s not the same when everyone else has a com- plete meal with so many choices except for you. So, Thrive Dining is a game changer, Bobbitt said. “We’re so excited to offer this. It’s not
only great for the residents, but it pushes the culinary team to a higher level,” said Bobbitt. “And it’s not just in preparing the food, but plating, presentation, and service. It also ups our game.”
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