MEMORY CARE
“At this stage of their life, we want to help them eat well but also enjoy what they eat,” said Giampietro.
As far as following the MIND diet com-
ponents, Giampietro said it’s easier to inte- grate into the menu than one might think. “We changed our pasta and breads to be whole grain. We added quinoa. But for our population and their families, these may not be foods they grew up with so you need to educate and communicate with them. Have them try it and then adjust where needed.” Silverado also goes to local senior centers
Chefs preparing brain healthy ingredients at Silverado.
Silverado Also focusing on prolonging their residents’ cognitive capabilities, Silverado, whose home office is in Irvine, Calif., incorporates the MIND diet components in their menu, said vice president of culinary services, Nick Giampietro. This includes using whole grains, fresh vegetables, berries, beans, and olive oil. But he said it’s not too far off from what they’ve always prepared for their se- nior population. Giampietro cautioned that any change
needs to be incorporated slowly. “You can’t eliminate everything they liked or are used to from their diets,” Giampietro said, “like all red meat or foods with sat- urated fats.” So, Silverado provides brain beneficial selections that offset the other choices. “This way they can still enjoy a dessert because they’re also getting other healthy foods.” Balancing taste, nutrients, and preferenc-
es is also required, especially for those in memory care who struggle to keep weight on. Giampietro said they do make ice cream and desserts available. “At this stage of their life, we want to help them eat well but also enjoy what they eat.”
54 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE MAY/JUNE 2018 The goal at Silverado is to serve the same
food no matter what a resident’s prescribed diet may be. If a resident requires finger food, they take the menu that day and transform it. “We believe this helps them maintain their independence by being able to feed them- selves if they’re not able to use a fork. It’s respectful for them,” said Giampietro. “If the menu includes meatloaf, mashed
potatoes, and green beans, we would make the meatloaf into meatballs and the mashed potatoes may become a potato wedge to go along with the green beans that they can eat,” he said.
and hospitals to do cooking demonstrations, as well as educate and share information on brain healthy cooking. “Sometimes we host the public in our
community and cook items right in front of them, so they can see how easy it is to incorporate into their daily menu at home,” Giampietro said. Dining programs aren’t one-size-fits-all,
according to Giampietro, and it doesn’t work to roll one out like it is. It needs to be case by case, he said, engaging and under- standing resident behaviors that may affect mealtime. “It’s important to work with them and come up with an individual solution.”
Restoring dignity with dining The struggle for those with cognitive issues only continues to worsen as the disease progresses, as does the loss of autonomy. So any solution that can lessen the reliance on others shouldn’t be overlooked. And the results are real. “Imagine seeing someone agitated at
A brain healthy meal at Silverado
mealtime and 100 percent dependent on assistance who is now able to dine by them- selves and who may even indicate that they want more,” said Bobbitt. “Families come up and hug the caregivers. They’ve never seen their loved one eat that much and now they have their dignity back at mealtime.”
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