Dining Culture Change: Balancing Resident Choice and Facility Operations

We also have to balance the choices we offer with our operational capabilities. This includes physical plant, equipment, staff, and budgets. Most facilities cannot offer steak, lobster, and champagne every night no matter how much the residents might want it. But maybe it can happen for special occasions.

Most facilities are not set up to be short-order restaurants, either. That is understood. Resident choice is about giving the residents the opportunity to make reasonable choices, not offering them every choice in the world.

In determining what choices to offer, it is important to understand what the residents want. Ask them! Listen to them! And talk to all the residents, not just resident council or resident food committee. Although what the committee members say is supposed to be reflective of what the majority of residents want, often it is just the individual members’ opinions. So get as much information as you can.

An easy way to increase choices for each meal without substantially increasing production is to have 3-5 easily prepared items always available in addition to the 1-2 menu items. Easy items include cold sandwiches, soups that can be heated in the microwave oven, cottage cheese and fruit, and pre-portioned entrees that can be removed from the freezer and heated. These pre-portioned items can be convenience items or items that the cooks prepare, portion, and freeze. Accurate production records will determine how often these items need to be made.

More options for choice will be discussed later. For now, remember that it is acceptable to set reasonable limits.