Enhancing the dining experience while boosting nutrition
A good meal can offer more benefits than just nutrition; food plays an important part in social life and activity; especially in the elderly. A good meal is often used to mark welcomes and goodbyes, celebrations such as birthdays and other special days. Over the years, science and social experiments have proven that such occasions can help to encourage eating, release memories, and stimulate conversation amongst elderly people – even enhancing morale within care homes in some cases. In residential care accommodation, residents are often encouraged to invite guests, whether it be friends or family members, for a simple meal or even just for a cup of tea. As residents will be used to dining with family members prior to residing in their care home, this idea also creates a sense of familiarity, too and is beneficial to the wellbeing of residents. Mealtimes are a mainstay of life in a care home in which residents’ experiences are characterised and enhanced. Understanding how residents interact with one another, accommodating their preferences and encouraging autonomy are pivotal aspects in enhancing dining experiences. The transition from independent living to life in care can be stressful for some residents, and accommodating their needs during social events such as mealtimes can improve health and wellbeing over the long-term. Blueleaf has identified some key elements in improving the dining experience for care home residents and discuss the importance of doing so. Enhancing wellbeing using interior design It goes without saying that every effort should be made to make the eating environment as attractive and as culturally appropriate as possible. A recent trend known as Biophilic Design which involves connecting with nature to improve health and wellbeing would be an advantageous trend to consider, as it is proven to reduce stress and improve cognitive function. A recent study, in which 7,500 people were surveyed across the world showed that there was a 15% increase in perceived wellbeing and creativity and a 6% increase in productivity when people were exposed to biophilic elements. A dining environment that is welcoming, relaxing and comfortable has the ability to increase food intake and social interaction. This is important within a care home as levels of loneliness tend to be quite high. A nice environment to dine in can make the eating experience more enjoyable and reduce feeding difficulties in people with dementia living in care homes. Spatial planning within care homes is also an important consideration; generally residents are used to and familiar with eating in a relatively confined space. i.e. the dining room at home. They would have only experienced a wider space for dining when attending a restaurant or were staying in a hotel, for example. Nursing home dining rooms tend to be large, open space and this contrast has the power to change the paradigm for eating. Therefore, it is a good idea to break the space down into smaller areas, which can be done with clever use of free-standing screening or using furniture pieces as room dividers. This will help to make a smaller, more homely space feel without creating a navigational nightmare or spending large sums of money on renovation. Using familiarity and routine to help tackle dementia People with dementia can have problems eating and drinking, often putting them at risk of malnutrition. Regular mealtimes are good biologically as they provide rhythm and routine, eliminating the risk of malnutrition or dehydration. In addition to arranging set meal times, nurses and other caregivers should consider exploring ways of providing a social environment that promotes individual dignity and comfort, whilst encouraging residents suffering from dementia to eat. Turning meal times into a social activity will help create and maintain independence, so offer company if the resident doesn’t enjoy eating alone. Familiar sounds of cooking, smells of food, and familiar sights can help offer stability within residents suffering from dementia; as do regular meal times. Although people have different eating routines and preferences – some like a light lunch and larger evening meal whilst others prefer to have a main meal in the middle of the day, it is important to arrange consistent meal times. Don’t overlook the importance of variety and options It should be ensured that elderly people living in residential care accommodation are offered variety and an alternative choice of food. It is also beneficial to keep records of the food preferences of each resident in some cases, a food diary. This will allow nurses to keep track of what residents are eating and drinking when, and how much, to reduce the risks of malnutrition and dehydration. In 2018 it was reported that hundreds of care home patients have died suffering from malnutrition or dehydration. From 2013 to 2017, dehydration was noted in 398 cases, whilst malnutrition recorded 226 times, so more needs to be done to ensure fewer patients are at risk of these conditions. One of CQC’s regulations is meeting nutritional and hydration needs. The intention of this regulation is to make sure that people who use services have adequate nutrition and hydration to sustain good health and reduce the risks of malnutrition and dehydration while they receive care and treatment. Forward-planning menus with various options not only allows nutritional food to be planned in, but also allows residents to create an appetite for a particular meal. A recent report which comprised the opinions of 302 residents, 81 visitors and 250 staff from 31 care homes, showed that within care establishments across the UK, there was no publication of a second food option and no menu plans for the week ahead displayed. This shows that resident choice and control was limited and that more needs to be done to create a menu that reflects the needs and wants of residents. Another way to stimulate appetite can be done by planning and encouraging residents to go on trips and outings outside the residential care home. This may activate appetite by providing exercise, fresh air and a change of food choice. Reducing loneliness through social
Borough Care launches new menus with apetito
Borough Care, the largest not-for-profit provider of care of older people in Stockport, has launched new menus at all of its eleven homes in conjunction with its catering partner apetito. The new menus have been created with the help of residents, their families and staff. Regular tasting sessions have been held and the preferred dishes chosen. Overwhelmingly, at each home, residents preferred softer food options and favoured a wider choice of vegetarian and fish dishes. Taking the views of residents into consideration, the new menus have the option of a meat, fish or vegetarian dish available every day. Borough Care has also introduced regular food-related theme nights, as residents are really adventurous and love to try new dishes. The curry night is proving particularly popular. Mark Dale, Catering & Hospitality Manager at Borough Care, says: “The new menus we have recently rolled out across our homes are being very well received by residents. Our catering team has worked hard to create delicious, nutritious choices based on feedback from both residents and staff. “At Borough Care, we know how important a well-balanced, nutritious diet is to the health and wellbeing of our residents. It’s important we serve dishes that both look appetising and taste great so residents enjoy eating them and get the essential nutrients they need.” apetitio is the leading food producer for the health and social care sector, providing delicious, nutritious and sustainable meals for people at home or in care.Based in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, apetito produces nutritious, great-tasting meals for hospitals, care homes and community services across the UK and in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Canada. apetito is also the parent company of Wiltshire Farm Foods, the UK’s premier home-delivery service for ready-made meals. Through a wide range of well-presented, nutritious meals to suit every taste and dietary need, apetito aims to make a real difference to lives of elderly and vulnerable people in care.
Innovation Centre Of Excellence
A ground-breaking new Innovation Centre aimed at the catering, cleaning and facilities management industries opened its stainless-steel doors for business on May 1 in Peterborough. It is a collaboration between Oxford company, GreenTeck Global Ltd: innovators in alternative green technologies, providing sustainable, energy-conscious and cost-effective solutions that will make a real difference to the environment; and commercial kitchen experts CK Direct. The Centre is based at CK Direct’s factory and showroom just a mile or so off the A1(M) in Peterborough and is unusual in that the company has built a fully-fitted and fully-operational commercial kitchen as its centrepiece . . . all under one, bespoke, stainless-steel roof, or ceiling, also fabricated from scratch on the premises. So visitors can not only see the equipment in situ and in operation but can even cook themselves lunch: if they remember to bring some burgers and buns! In addition to the actual cookers and fryers, equipment on display includes: CK Direct has been in Peterborough for 19 years and MD Tony Ricciardi commented: “We manufacture kitchen equipment and system on-site, starting from stainless steel sheets. When we decided to have Odournet Ltd undertake trials on the AirTeck trioxygen units last year we need find a professional / commercial kitchen for them to work in. The obvious solution was for us to build exactly what we wanted on-site . . . and really the idea for Innovation Centre just grew for there.” While CEO and Founder of GreenTeck Global, David Thurston, added: “We are really excited about the concept of the Innovation Centre. For the first time we think we have gone beyond offering just extraction systems or deodorising solutions and are able to offer a genuine one-stop-shop all under one roof. And that it will be of interest to a wide range of industries and sectors: from catering to care homes, hotels to hospitality, and from universities to food manufacturing and processing.” To arrange a visit to the Innovation Centre or for further information about the product range please contact: Tony Ricciardi, CK Direct, 15 Tresham Road, Peterborough PE2 6SG, Tel: 01733 230378, Email: info@ckdirect.co.uk , Web: https://ckdirect.co.uk OR David Thurston, GreenTeck Global, 42 St Mary Street, Wallingford, Oxon OX10 0EU, Tel: 0208 150622, Email: david@greenteckglobal.com, Web: www.greenteckglobal.com.
