Over the past several months, AHF senior dining, long term care members have been coming together for our new, monthly Check-In Chats. These monthly calls are designed to bring together members from the various sectors of this healthcare foodservice community to provide a way for members to connect and exchange ideas.
Just as there is a wide spectrum of senior dining models and communities within the industry, members present on these calls range from large systems, single community sites, CRCC’s, independent living sites and skilled nursing facilities, and are from facilities located from coast to coast, so there’s always a diverse and lively discussion.
These informal discussions provide a place for members to talk about various challenges they’re currently facing, new ideas they’re hoping to implement at their sites, and to suggest solutions for one another. Discussion topics over the last few months have run the gamut to include:
- Continuing COVID-19 struggles, like how to entice assisted living residents to feel more comfortable with communal dining settings again.
- How residents have reacted to increased costs due to inflation.
- The intricacies of meal plans and how they can be designed to appeal to residents, but also allow for operators to plan costs and inventory month to month.
- How to best utilize the input and feedback provided by resident committees.
- An exchange of ideas surrounding menu rotations/cycles and specials, as well as how residents make their menu selections.
- What resources are available for patients and residents who require the IDDSI diet.
These monthly calls take place on the third Wednesday of each month at 3:00pm ET/12:00pm CT and are open to all operator members from senior living communities or healthcare facilities with senior living components. Operators are encouraged to join as their schedule allows it.
To receive the Zoom meeting details for these monthly calls, please email Hillary Hutchins at hutchins@healthcarefoodservice.org.