Each department has responsibilities to make meal service memorable. Here are examples of what some of these responsibilities might involve.
The environmental department needs to ensure that the kitchen equipment operates properly so that meals can be prepared. It also needs to make sure that dining room furniture is in good repair. The dining needs to be kept clean. Tablecloths and/or napkins need to be laundered (or sent out for laundering).
Activities (or life enrichment) can do many things to make meals special. Activities during meal time makes the wait time seem shorter and the meal more enjoyable. This can be music or other entertainment. Activities can also assist with decorating, centerpieces, menu selection, and escorting.
Social services can assist residents in adjusting to the dining environment and informing them of options they have. Assistance with menu selection and escorting is also possible.
Nursing services, of course, has an extremely important role to play with escorting, assistance with eating, serving, and following-up with residents after the meal.
Dining services prepares food, sets tables, takes menu selection, serves food and beverages, assists with follow-up, and clears tables.
All department managers should also play a role in meal service. Each one is responsible for ensuring that his/her staff is performing the required responsibilities during meal service. Many facilities also have managers take turns acting as a host or hostess for meals. In this role they greet residents, assist with serving food and beverages, and ensure smooth meal operation.
Each facility is different, and these are just examples. The important thing to remember is that everyone must work together to make meals memorable for the residents.
What suggestions do you have for department responsibilities?
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Making Meals Memorable: Service
The technical aspects of service involve setting the table, escorting residents to the dining room, serving food and beverages, and clearing dining room after the residents have finished.
Properly setting the table will add to the atmosphere in the dining room. Each place setting should be the same and each table should be the same. The dishware needs to be clean and in good repair—no chipped or cracked dishes.
Beverage service can occur prior to the meal. This gives the residents something to do while waiting for the food. Beverage service can be from a beverage cart. This is a good way to offer choice to the residents.
The meals can be served using restaurant serving trays and stands. Or meals can be served using serving carts. Avoiding institutional hospital trays to serve food enhances the dining experience.
Serving carts can also be used to serve salads and desserts. This is also a great method to offer more choice to the residents.
After the meal is served, it is important to follow-up. Ask the residents how the food was and if they would like any additional food or beverage.
After meal service, the dining room must be cleared. If residents are still in the dining room, this should be done quietly and away from tables where residents are still eating. Bussing carts work well for this.
What service do you offer in your facility?
Properly setting the table will add to the atmosphere in the dining room. Each place setting should be the same and each table should be the same. The dishware needs to be clean and in good repair—no chipped or cracked dishes.
Beverage service can occur prior to the meal. This gives the residents something to do while waiting for the food. Beverage service can be from a beverage cart. This is a good way to offer choice to the residents.
The meals can be served using restaurant serving trays and stands. Or meals can be served using serving carts. Avoiding institutional hospital trays to serve food enhances the dining experience.
Serving carts can also be used to serve salads and desserts. This is also a great method to offer more choice to the residents.
After the meal is served, it is important to follow-up. Ask the residents how the food was and if they would like any additional food or beverage.
After meal service, the dining room must be cleared. If residents are still in the dining room, this should be done quietly and away from tables where residents are still eating. Bussing carts work well for this.
What service do you offer in your facility?
Friday, May 21, 2010
Making Meals Memorable: Service
Service contains two components, the employees providing the service and the technical aspects of how the food is served.
The employee aspects that will be discussed apply to all employees working in the dining room, regardless of their department.
All employees must have a clean and neat dress and appearance. Some facilities have uniforms for the dining service employees. Some also have aprons for anyone working in the dining room. This is not required, so long as all employees look professional.
All employees also need to be courteous, respectful, and hospitable. Smiling is important!
Employees must, of course, follow all food safety regulations.
For all of this to happen, employees must be well-trained. They need to know what the standards and expectations are, and why.
How do you train your staff for serving in the dining room?
The employee aspects that will be discussed apply to all employees working in the dining room, regardless of their department.
All employees must have a clean and neat dress and appearance. Some facilities have uniforms for the dining service employees. Some also have aprons for anyone working in the dining room. This is not required, so long as all employees look professional.
All employees also need to be courteous, respectful, and hospitable. Smiling is important!
Employees must, of course, follow all food safety regulations.
For all of this to happen, employees must be well-trained. They need to know what the standards and expectations are, and why.
How do you train your staff for serving in the dining room?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Making Meals Memorable: Environment
The environment includes the dining room; the tables and chairs; the dishes, glassware, and flatware; and the serving equipment. The environment affects the perception of the meal service. It may have a positive or negative impact.
Have you ever eaten at a restaurant that was dirty, cluttered, and dark? Did you stay? If not, was it because you thought that if the dining room looked that bad, what would the kitchen look like and how could the food be safe and taste good? And if you did stay, did you have a negative perception of the food before you even saw it?
The residents and their families are not any different. If the dining room is clean, uncluttered, and attractive, it will create a positive impression which will be reflected upon the food as well.
The tables and chairs also need to be clean, attractive, and comfortable. Tablecloths, napkins, centerpieces, and attractive dinnerware all contribute to the impression of the food and service.
Serving equipment, such as trays, stands, serving carts, and bussing carts also need to be cleaned and well-maintained.
A good practice is to try to look at the dining room before each meal as though you were seeing it for the first time. What impression does it make? And then change what creates a negative impression.
What was the nicest dining room you ever saw? What made it special?
Have you ever eaten at a restaurant that was dirty, cluttered, and dark? Did you stay? If not, was it because you thought that if the dining room looked that bad, what would the kitchen look like and how could the food be safe and taste good? And if you did stay, did you have a negative perception of the food before you even saw it?
The residents and their families are not any different. If the dining room is clean, uncluttered, and attractive, it will create a positive impression which will be reflected upon the food as well.
The tables and chairs also need to be clean, attractive, and comfortable. Tablecloths, napkins, centerpieces, and attractive dinnerware all contribute to the impression of the food and service.
Serving equipment, such as trays, stands, serving carts, and bussing carts also need to be cleaned and well-maintained.
A good practice is to try to look at the dining room before each meal as though you were seeing it for the first time. What impression does it make? And then change what creates a negative impression.
What was the nicest dining room you ever saw? What made it special?
Friday, May 14, 2010
Making Meals Memorable: Food
Food starts with the menu. The menu must have a variety of food items. It must also have variety in color, flavor, texture, and shape. This is necessary each meal, each day, and each week. This also applies to therapeutic and texture modified diets.
The food must be attractive. This includes, of course, that the food itself must look good. Plate arrangement is also important. If the food is attractively arranged on the plate it will be more appealing. Appropriate dishes affect the attractiveness. Bread on a separate bread plate is more appealing than bread put on top of the potatoes and gravy. Garnishes also improve the appearance of the food as it is served.
The food must also be appetizing. Recipes must be followed for this to occur. The food must be properly cooked, flavorful, the appropriate texture for the product, and served at the appropriate temperatures.
All this applies to the cold food items as well. Sometimes we focus in on the hot food and do not pay as much attention as we should to the cold salads, desserts, fruits, and beverages.
What do you do to improve the quality and appearance of the food?
The food must be attractive. This includes, of course, that the food itself must look good. Plate arrangement is also important. If the food is attractively arranged on the plate it will be more appealing. Appropriate dishes affect the attractiveness. Bread on a separate bread plate is more appealing than bread put on top of the potatoes and gravy. Garnishes also improve the appearance of the food as it is served.
The food must also be appetizing. Recipes must be followed for this to occur. The food must be properly cooked, flavorful, the appropriate texture for the product, and served at the appropriate temperatures.
All this applies to the cold food items as well. Sometimes we focus in on the hot food and do not pay as much attention as we should to the cold salads, desserts, fruits, and beverages.
What do you do to improve the quality and appearance of the food?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Making Meals Memorable: Key Concepts
There are some key concepts that must be remembered to achieve an improved dining program.
A fine dining program must be a facility philosophy, not a dietary program.
Every department, every staff member has responsibilities.
Everyone must work together to achieve goals.
A fine dining program must be individualized to the facility’s residents, staff, and physical plant.
If these concepts are not adopted and followed, the dining program will never be much more than getting the meals out.
Do you find it is difficult to get other departments involved in meal service? What have you done to overcome this?
A fine dining program must be a facility philosophy, not a dietary program.
Every department, every staff member has responsibilities.
Everyone must work together to achieve goals.
A fine dining program must be individualized to the facility’s residents, staff, and physical plant.
If these concepts are not adopted and followed, the dining program will never be much more than getting the meals out.
Do you find it is difficult to get other departments involved in meal service? What have you done to overcome this?
Friday, May 7, 2010
Making Meals Memorable: Advantages
There are many advantages to achieving dining excellence. The more conducive meal time is to eating, the more the residents eat, thus the greater the nutritional and hydration status of the residents. This leads to less, if any, weight loss. This, of course, leads to greater survey results.
This also has a positive impact on the bottom line. If the residents enjoy meal time, and eat more, there is less food waste. There is also less need for supplements if the residents eat the meals. This helps food costs.
A fine dining program also means the residents enjoy meal time more. This leads to an increased quality of life. This, too, affects survey results. It also assists the marketing effort in that if the residents talk positive about a program, and the families see the benefits, word of this gets into the community.
In addition to all of this, and perhaps most important, it makes the lives of the residents in our facilities better.
What other advantages have you found in improving meal service?
This also has a positive impact on the bottom line. If the residents enjoy meal time, and eat more, there is less food waste. There is also less need for supplements if the residents eat the meals. This helps food costs.
A fine dining program also means the residents enjoy meal time more. This leads to an increased quality of life. This, too, affects survey results. It also assists the marketing effort in that if the residents talk positive about a program, and the families see the benefits, word of this gets into the community.
In addition to all of this, and perhaps most important, it makes the lives of the residents in our facilities better.
What other advantages have you found in improving meal service?
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Making Meals Memorable
May 9 -15 is National Nursing Home Week. The theme is “Enriching Every Day!” One of the best ways to enrich the lives of the residents is to enhance meal service.
Meals are extremely important to all of us. Meals not only nourish the body, they also nourish the mind and the spirit.
When assessing a dining program for improvement, the three areas to evaluate are the food, the environment, and the service. An important aspect to remember is that there is no reality, only perception. It is important to determine what the residents’ perceptions are of the current dining program and what improvements are necessary and desirable. And then take it several steps further to really “wow” the residents, who are your primary customers.
This month we will discuss how to enhance any dining program. Are there certain areas you would like to see addressed?
Meals are extremely important to all of us. Meals not only nourish the body, they also nourish the mind and the spirit.
When assessing a dining program for improvement, the three areas to evaluate are the food, the environment, and the service. An important aspect to remember is that there is no reality, only perception. It is important to determine what the residents’ perceptions are of the current dining program and what improvements are necessary and desirable. And then take it several steps further to really “wow” the residents, who are your primary customers.
This month we will discuss how to enhance any dining program. Are there certain areas you would like to see addressed?
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