I always say to families, “if the food is not good, your going to hear about it” they always chuckle with me about this comment. But it’s true, trust me lol. Moving into Assisted Living or any senior living community is a big change for most seniors and enjoying good food can be very comforting. On the flip side if the food is cold or terrible this can really be depressing and have a negative side affect to their mental and physical health. As a senior living advisor, while I am touring with you the options for assisted living, here are 3 very important questions I ask for families about the meals being served.
Is your dining room open?
Believe it or not dining rooms were not open in many senior living communities even when the state allowed them to be. Although safety is always everyone’s top priority it can also have a very negative impact to seniors mental health and physical health. There are many benefits surround having a meal with others even if that meant social distancing dining. Seeing others not only helps us feel connected and not isolated but it helps with cueing and mirroring if your loved one has dementia or depression. So checking on how the dining room is being operated now or if there was a shut down again is important to know how this will effect your loved one.
Meal times?
Having flexible meal times can be very important to seniors since everyone’s life style and what they are used to can different from one another. However, someone with dementia can really benefit from set meal times because it helps them with a routine which allows them to maintain their independence or some seniors just enjoy routine and find it comforting.
Food options?
During the last 15 months of the pandemic meal options have been limited through out senior living communities for many reasons. I want to know for my families and their senior loved ones that options have been restored or are headed in that directs. Some assisted livings were feeding seniors sandwiches for weeks if not months.