Yucky Food in Independent/Assisted Living Facilities

[VeraO]

My mother lives in one of the top independent/assisted living facilities in Tucson AZ.  She is regularly served meals that are unappealling, not nutritional, and with ingredients that violate basic nutritional rules that have been around for decades.  Veggies & fruits are most often canned or overcooked - fresh, local plant foods are just not there, and organic is out of the question.  Fatty meats are served regularly; fish is only occasionally served.  White breads & rice are the norm, as are sugary desserts.  In short the food is yucky; it doesn't look or taste good.

My mom "doesn't want to make trouble," but I would like to explore ways to make positive change that the facility would feel good about.  If people of means are suffering nutritionally, can you imagine what it is like for people without?  I am really concerned about this population of elders, who need nutrition-packed foods yet fewer calories.

Can anyone suggest intervention strategies?  Not wanting to reinvent the wheel, maybe it's been done somewhere else and you can refer me to someone who was involved in a positive model for change somewhere else?

Thanks all,

Vera.

[susan]

Vera,

     I commend you for your concern and agree that this is a deplorable situation. I do not have personal experience effecting change in this area but urge you to get involved! Hospitals, nursing homes, and senior care facilities are notorious for the worst of dietary practices. Canned and packed foods, overly processed and nutritionally void foods, microwaving in plastic, etc. Buying foods in bulk and reducing the preparation time cuts costs. It is shocking to me that even in a private facility where people are paying top dollar, their dietary needs are compromised. They don't even have the government "excuse" of not having enough funding.

     Okay - done with my rant, here is my suggestion. Start with your Mom's situation by offering your help as a Nutritional Educator in giving guidelines for improvement to their administrators/cooking staff. You will be taking a positive approach instead of complaining. If they are unreceptive, then see if you can contact other residents and/or their family members and inform them of your concern. A group can often effect change better than an individual (especially if they are paying for services that are unacceptable). Perhaps your experience there will encourage you to promote change elswhere. I am sure there is a lobby group that is involved with this issue. Google "elder dietary institutional care" or something similar and you might be directed to an action group.

Good Luck!

[SharonH]

My Mom just moved into an assisted living facility.  The food is OK but lacking in what we would consider healthy values.  However, I have to say that my Mom is vegetable phobic so perhaps some of the elders are not into healthy food.  My Mom almost always rejects the food I cook at home, especially now that I've been educated at Bauman.  I've been working on her but have spent many an evening watching her pick the chard out of her soup or passing on the salad altogether.  An aside:  I worked at a preschool and the food there was REALLY bad - chicken nuggets and mushy peas on many days!
Good luck,
Sharon

[VeraO]

Sharon, there are a couple of really interesting what-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg exchanges going on a blog site I found about whether the bad food in assisted living facilities is due to the tastes of the client or the preconceived notions chefs have about what elders like/should eat.  In this blog, a few assisted living faciliy chefs talk about the current state of culinary affairs at these facilities.  Check it out at forums.chef2chef.net.  Vera.