We are living in an extraordinary and unprecedented time in the history of senior living as we battle COVID-19 to keep residents and staff healthy and safe.
Now that residents have been restricted from coming into the dining room for meals it is more important than ever for food serving teams to address the social aspect of mealtime.
I’d like to share a person-centered approach to create a comforting new normal around eating in isolation. Here are several things that I’ve learned when used consistently make a difference.
Introduce yourself and greet your resident by name. Let them know that you may look different wearing a mask.
Describe their meal as you present their plate to begin a conversation.
Quickly scan the tray for any missing condiments and have a backup supply close by.
Exit graciously after sharing a kind word, a compliment, or a community news update.
Make arrangements for yourself or a co-worker to circle back within 3 minutes to ask: Is there anything else we can get you?
Build your own variation on this theme but be sure to have a consistent practice. I’ve learned that keeping this kind of routine and approach can lower residents’ feelings of isolation and frustration, especially when something is missing from the tray. We must strive to get it right more often than wrong and fix any issue quickly.
Consistency in service approach improves feelings of solidarity that we are in this together. It also creates familiarity. Checking back builds a sense of trust and improves the feeling of appreciation for one another. Expect each interaction to be different but keep your response calm and consistent. We thank you for your service and the hard work you do.
What have you tried in your community? Let me know and we’ll share what other communities are doing. Just click on my name below to email me with suggestions or questions related to any of what I’ve shared.
Coach Cindy