When you’re searching for an assisted living community, either for yourself, an aging parent, or someone else who matters to you, what do you look for? In other words, what are the key factors about this assisted living facility that would tell you right away whether it was worth considering or not?
A lot of people focus on cleanliness. Others consider the size of the room the senior would be staying in. Some may focus on location (as real estate agents often say, location, location, location is all that matters). Still, others may focus on a variety of aspects.
One of those aspects that’s too easily overlooked among many family members worried about their aging parents, grandparents, or other loved ones who need support in these golden years of life is the dining facilities.
Yet, the dining options that are available at an assisted living community can tell you at least some details about the facility and how it focuses on caring for its residents.
Let us focus here on a few of the dining details at an assisted living facility.
1. How much do they focus on nutrition for their residents?
If a facility puts together a menu that is fatty, full of processed foods, lots of junk food, but not a great deal of nutrition, that’s a problem, especially for aging men and women. If the dining facility doesn’t provide nutritional facts and information about their meals, what does that say about them?
Does that necessarily mean the facility is bad? Of course not, but the older you get, the more you begin to realize just how important a healthy diet and proper nutrition are for daily living. If it’s difficult to find this information out, whether as a guest taking a tour or a resident, what does that say about their concern for resident health and well-being?
2. Are seniors allowed to offer input?
Is this the type of dining facility where the chef puts everything together and doesn’t even listen to the residents? Is that okay with everyone? Some people may be allergic to certain foods. Some may have different preferences than what’s readily available.
If seniors are not allowed to offer any input, do not have any say whatsoever in the menu that is provided, and perhaps changed once a month or every couple of months, then you need to ask the key question of why.
Some places simply don’t think it’s all that important. However, if you were a resident and were eating at the same dining facility, would you want some type of say on the type of foods you are consuming regularly?
3. Is the dining facility comfortable?
Is it like a cafeteria you may remember from high school? Or is it like a fine-dining restaurant? If the dining facility is comfortable, it can say a lot about the facility and its care for residents. After all, when we get together with friends or family, what are we usually doing?
Eating a meal. Mealtime is important for a lot of reasons, and if the dining facility is an afterthought, one that only provides plastic chairs and cheap tables to sit at, perhaps in a dark and dingy atmosphere, that doesn’t say much about the facility, and its concern for the residents.
Yet, if it is a restaurant-style eatery and it is well-lit, bright, roomy, and invites residents to sit down and enjoy a good meal in the morning, at noon, or night, then that can tell you a lot about other aspects of the facility.
Bear in mind that this isn’t meant for you to go out and judge an entire assisted living community based on their dining options or menu, but it gives you some insight into things to look for to help you or that senior make the right decision for their future.
If you or an aging loved one is considering a move to an Assisted Living Facility for Care Services in Marietta GA please contact the caring staff at Woodland Ridge today. 770-431-7055
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