Try a continental breakfast approach

A tremendous culture change concept is to have a daily continental breakfast. Key word is daily. Don't start by having a continental breakfast on weekdays only. Don't subscribe to the thought that things are different on weekends. Nothing is different. You still need to feed the same number of residents, at the same time, with the same quality, zest and zeal that you would during the week. Admit it. Once you come to grips with this idea the rest is easy. Oh, you may have to show up on a few weekends for support, but you should be doing that anyway.

The continental breakfast is in the main dining room. I set the hours of operation from 6:30 am to 9:30 am. So in effect the continental breakfasts starts about 30 minutes earlier than the breakfast tray line starts, and concludes about an hour after the breakfast tray line ends.

The continental breakfast by nature is an easy set up. It accomplishes a variety of culture change initiatives. It helps to support those residents that like to get up early and have a cup of coffee, perhaps a danish, or a muffin, that might not have been available for them in the past. Just as well, it supports those residents that may wish to sleep in a little later and not get a breakfast tray at 7:00am.
It also strongly reinforces the concept that food and drinks are readily available at what was once considered off hours.

You can set up a cereal station, a hot and cold beverage station, a basket up muffins and danish. The list goes on. I set up my continental breakfast like you would find at a hotel. Just a few individual stations. Once you get a system going it just starts to flow smoothly.

When you get ready to start this, get a little fan fare going. Perhaps ballons for a grand opening week, flyers, posters, and signs in the lobby. Get the staff and residents talking about this new continental breakfast concept. Trust me you will feel the excitement of something new.

Take back the dining room

The very first step to changing the culture of eating, and dining in a nursing home setting is to realize that the dining room is a dining room. It is not the activities center, it is not the chapel, it is not the tv room, it is not the host of so many other things that over time have turned the dining area into whatever every one else wants it to be, and oh, by the way lets herd our residents in there for 20 minutes so they can eat. Sound familiar. Don't lie, you know this is, or has been the way your home works. Take a deep breath and start to take back the dining room. Now don't be obnoxious about it. Your dining room was stolen from you over time. So over time steal it back. First step, set up a culture change dining room commitee. Involve all of the key people. Administration, (they will love it) nursing, (they will embrace it) social services, (they love everything) and activities, (could be your toughest sell). Because in many homes space is at such a premium, the activities departments tend to use the dining room for so many of thier events. It is the only area large enough to host a group.

Culture Change Food Concepts

This is my first attempt at blogging. I guess I will welcome myself. I feel like I am walking around in a room where no one knows me. Pretty soon I figure I will be some center of attention. Perhaps because I have spilled something on my shirt, or because I have some interesting thoughts to share about culture change with regards to food in a nursing home setting. See, I already have your interest and there is nothing spilled on my shirt.



I direct the food service at a 180 bed nursing home in East Providence RI. I have been here for almost 20 years. When I first heard of the culture change initiative it caught my attention like a bat to the back of my head. I said what a great idea. Treat residents like they would be treated at home. Outstanding concept. Ideas started flowing like water. Now all I had to do was put these concepts into motion. I had to get others to agree. In short I had to become a salesperson for culture change.The beauty part of being a salesperson for culture change is the inventory is endless, the cost can be minimal, and you recruit your own sales team from your existing staff. At no extra charge.