Every October, assisted living centers across the United States celebrate National Healthcare Food Service Workers Week.

 

This commemorative celebration is a time for assisted living centers to recognize and appreciate the important role that foodservice staff members play in helping residents stay well-nourished, healthy and happy. The theme this year — “Making Meals Nutritious and Delicious” — reflects the goal of every foodservice staff member and menu planning program for seniors.

Help Residents Recognize Their Assisted Living Foodservice Staff

Nursing home and senior living residents often become attached to the staff members who care for them every day – and the reverse is also true.

Chefs, nutritionists and dining room staff do much more than prepare and serve food to meet dietary needs. Foodservice staff often go above and beyond, delivering crave-worthy meals and personalized care and attention to the residents.

Why not give your seniors a chance to show their appreciation this year?

They can surprise your foodservice staff with handmade cards and decorations, balloons and decorations in the dining area. Residents can create a recognition board for the lobby, complete with pictures of the dietary staff along with personal notes of thanks and acknowledgment.

Honor Assisted Living Food Staff Plan with a Community Event

Who doesn’t love a party? Consider hosting a community event to celebrate National Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week.

You could, for example, hold a “Best Chocolate Chip Cookies” contest, allowing seniors and employees to participate. Friends, family members and locals can come out and show their support, voting for the top recipe.

Or, simply plan a luncheon or dessert party for the dining services staff – one that they do not have to prepare. Invite the community, your residents and their families to join in the fun, turning the tables to provide service to your foodservice workers.

How Assisted Living Centers Can Support Foodservice Workers

Your dietary staff plays a vital role in maintaining the health and well-being of your residents. Support your chefs, nutritionists, kitchen and service staff by helping your employees work together as a cohesive team. Share responsibility for problem-solving, rather than keeping facility departments compartmentalized, and your foodservice efforts can run more smoothly.

Another way to show support for your foodservice workers is to look for ways to make their jobs easier.

A comprehensive menu planning solution, like the Grove Menus system, can do exactly that. With our system, your dietary staff will be able to spend much less time creating delicious and nutritious meals for seniors. And, our menu planning program also helps track inventory and standardize food production – both of which will save you money.

To learn more, contact Grove menus today for a free demonstration. We look forward to demonstrating its powerful features and showing you exactly how our menu planning program can benefit the foodservice staff at your assisted living facility.

These festive fall tips are brought to you by the Grove Menus team. Grove Menus provides menu planning solution systems for nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes. Our food menu program provides a proven suite of solutions that reduce food service costs while improving quality and nutritional values.

Contact us today to learn more about our program and its menus for seniors and assisted living facilities.