New Ways to Turn the Dining Table into a Top Spot for Engagement
September 30, 2021
Food has the power to bring people together like almost nothing else. Senior living communities can harness that power by offering exciting engagement opportunities that appeal to residents’ love of food. “There’s a huge social component to dining that goes beyond the functional need for food,” says Arthur Silva, senior vice president for Sodexo Seniors…
Managing Swallowing Disorders During COVID Takes Extra Effort
March 10, 2021
Even in ordinary times, managing swallowing disorders can require complex coordination and care in senior living communities—and these are not ordinary times. With the limitations and precautions the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed, senior living operators have had to make adjustments to ensure residents who suffer from swallowing disorders continue to receive the close attention that…
10 Tried-and-True Methods That Can Take a Bite Out of Food Costs
September 23, 2020
Voices of experience from the senior living culinary world share their tips for efficiency, engagement, and avoiding waste. 1. Go seasonal and local when you can. This makes for better quality and lower costs, but it also pays off in other ways, points out Morrison Living: with increased engagement and curiosity among residents about what’s…
2020 Best of the Best Awards: The Stories Behind the Honorees
August 3, 2020
The Argentum Best of the Best Awards recognize innovative programs, products, and services that solve a challenge, advance excellence, and improve the future of senior living.
The Boom in Plant-Based Diets Brings Healthy Creativity to Menus
April 9, 2020
The revolution is here–the veg revolution, that is. Plant-forward eating styles are changing the way residents and communities think about food. “Plant-forward is an eating style focused on plant-based dishes like produce, whole grains, and legumes, but it’s not limited to that,” said Dana Fillmore, registered dietitian and marketing manager at Gordon Food Service. For…
Women in the Food World: Working, Writing, Persisting
April 9, 2020
One of the first selections in Women on Food: Charlotte Druckman and 115 Writers, Chefs, Critics, Television Stars, and Eaters is a conversation with legendary writer and food historian Betty Fussell (New Yorker, Food & Wine, and the memoir My Kitchen Wars). “I began writing food articles in 1960 for Travel & Leisure, because we…
Spice Blends Are On Trend for Healthy Variety
April 9, 2020
Herbs and spices are a powerhouse addition to senior living dining. They add a personal touch, the excitement of new flavor, and hearken to cultures and travels. Beyond that, they’re the new health boosters: A great way to reduce sodium, have anti-inflammatory properties, and are a prime component of the MIND Diet. The MIND Diet…
Career Pathways Help Lead Culinary to Four-Star Engagement
April 9, 2020
How do you reduce a six-month turnover rate by 8.6 percent? Follow the stars. That was one of the answers for Trilogy Health Services, which is seeing dining services turnover drop. In its Southeast division alone, for instance, it went from 47 percent to 23 percent. More important, the numbers reflect a stronger level of…
Suiting Every Taste: Communities find solutions to provide a rich range of choices and independence in dining
April 9, 2020
Mealtime has never been only about the food—that’s been true for humans throughout history. It’s a time to share, to converse, to shine, to appreciate what brings us together and to highlight what’s unique about each of us. In senior living communities, the meaningfulness of that experience can be heightened. “Knowing the importance that food…
What’s Next on the Menu: Fresh, Clean Choices
April 9, 2020
The following is excerpted from an interview on culinary services over the next decade. Thandi Baxter-Magro Vice president of marketing Sodexo Seniors North America Don Bunden Manager, solution development Sodexo Seniors North America Baxter-Magro: A few key trends have definitely arisen: There’s the empowered consumer; the baby boomers have higher expectations. Another is digital transformation:…
Make Every Bite Matter: Tips to Cut Waste
April 9, 2020
Reducing food waste is serious for executive directors and dining managers—more than half in our Forecast Report survey named it their top concern. Lower waste is a marker of resident satisfaction, operational excellence, and reaching sustainability goals. To help in the ongoing quest, experts Dana Fillmore, RD, healthcare customer marketing manager at Gordon Food Service…
Keep an Essential Product Clean: Take Good Care of Your Ice Machine
February 18, 2020
It can be surprising to think that ice can “go bad.” After all, ice is often used to keep other foods and drinks safe. “The reality is that dirty ice machines were citied 20 percent of the time on health inspections in 2019,” says Ecolab’s Mandy Sedlak, principal regulatory specialist and food safety and public…