Dining With Dignity: Accommodating Special Diets in Assisted Living

Accommodating Your Loved One's Dietary Restrictions

Meeting your loved one's dietary needs at home can be challenging when medical conditions or food sensitivities narrow options. One important benefit of assisted living is the ability to accommodate special diets for seniors without sacrificing good nutrition.

Dietary restrictions shouldn’t mean feeling singled out or sitting in a corner eating something unappetizing. Whether your loved one needs a special diet for a medical condition or a cultural preference, they’ll have access to nutritious, attractive and delicious meals prepared specially for them three times a day.

Moving into The Herrick House means your loved one gets the comforts of home with all the assistance they need. We offer a restaurant-like experience with linens, wait staff and menus in our five dining rooms. Our professional chefs are specially trained to prepare meals that will nourish your loved one safely and with dignity.

Key Takeaways

• Dietary restrictions are common in aging adults. A quality assisted living community can accommodate them without making your loved one feel left out.
• Your loved one deserves a special diet accommodation, whether the need is medical, cultural or personal preference.
• If your loved one has allergies, look for communities with chefs trained in allergen-safe food handling practices.
• Before choosing an assisted living or memory care community, tour it and ask questions about the food quality, safety measures and dining experience.
• We’d love to show you our five restaurant-like dining rooms and answer your questions.

Managing Swallowing Problems with Special Diets for the Elderly

Difficulty swallowing, or dysphagia, affects about 50% of older adults living in residential care settings. It can happen because of:

• Dental problems
• Jaw injuries
• Stroke
• Dementia
• GERD
• Parkinson’s disease
• Neurological problems

Difficulty swallowing can turn everyday foods into choking hazards. Hot dogs, grapes, apples and popcorn are just a few examples of common foods that can endanger someone with dysphagia.

How an Assisted Living Community Can Improve Mealtime Comfort

An experienced assisted living community will have a strong program in place for helping your loved one experience a safe, satisfying dining experience with friends. Depending on the severity of their swallowing problems, your loved one’s special diet may include:

• Thickened liquids
• Pureed foods
• Minced, moist foods
• Soft, bite-sized foods
• Foods that are easy to chew

These foods need not be bland. Our chefs at The Herrick House are experts at preparing a variety of appetizing foods that are safe and enjoyable regardless of the texture required.

Special Diets for Medical Conditions

Medical conditions can have a strong influence on which foods seniors should eat. If your loved one is living with certain medical conditions, the wrong foods can worsen their condition or cause an immediate crisis. At The Herrick House, our team of dependable and dedicated experts includes 24/7 nurses, dietitians, nutritionists and professional chefs who understand special diets for medical conditions, such as:

• Diabetes – Foods lower in simple carbs and higher in healthy fats, fiber, complex carbs and protein.
• Heart disease – Foods lower in sodium, cholesterol and saturated fats.
• Renal disease – Foods lower in potassium, phosphorous or sodium.

Your loved one won’t feel deprived at The Herrick House. Our chefs know how to work around dietary restrictions through smart substitutions, so your loved one can still enjoy many of the foods they’ve always loved.

Staying Safe from Food Allergies and Sensitivities

Food allergies can cause dangerous reactions even if your loved one consumes a very small quantity. Even food cooked on the same grill or processed in the same factory as an allergen can cause a dangerous reaction. One of the most dangerous allergic reactions is anaphylaxis, a condition that blocks the airway, making breathing difficult or impossible.

Preparing food for people under the same roof with varying allergies requires a systematic approach that includes prevention of cross-contamination. With chefs specially trained in allergen-safe preparation methods, you can rest assured that your loved one always has access to safe food in our five dining rooms.

Honoring Cultural, Religious and Personal Preferences

You don’t have to have a medical condition to request a special diet in assisted living or memory care. An inclusive community honors and celebrates cultural, ethnic and religious diversity. This includes embracing dietary principles such as:

• Kosher
• Halal
• Vegan
• Vegetarian
• Pescatarian

At The Herrick House, we’ll help you uphold your traditions and deeply held beliefs in every way we can, including special diets. We also respect personal preferences outside of tradition. Mealtimes should be comforting and familiar. Honoring your traditions and preferences is just one way we make assisted living feel like home.

Personalized Care Plans that Keep Your Loved One’s Diet Safe, Nourishing and Pleasant

Your loved one’s diet is highly personal, and their care plan should be too. We’ll work closely with you and your loved one to develop a care plan that includes good nutrition and helps them thrive.

At The Herrick House, your loved one’s care plan includes detailed dietary guidance. We’ll document your loved one’s needs in the electronic health record, so your loved one receives the same accommodations if they move to a new care level or are hospitalized. Our nurses, dietitians and nutritionists will also have access. Our chefs receive specific instructions, so you can trust your loved one’s food is safe, delicious and nutritious.

If your loved one’s needs change over time, we’ll be on top of it. We regularly update care plans in response to changes we notice and feedback from families.

Questions to Ask About Special Diets During a Tour

If your loved one has dietary restrictions, asking the right questions is crucial to finding a community that will provide appealing dining options even with restrictions. Here are the most important questions:

1. Can you accommodate my loved one’s specific dietary restrictions? Choose a community that confirms it can.
2. How much experience do your chefs have preparing foods to accommodate my loved one’s special diet? Choose a community with chefs who have years of experience with specialized training.
3. Can I interview a few of your residents about their experience with the food? Choose a community that allows this, and whose residents speak well of the food, especially those with restrictions.
4. Can I sample a meal prepared with my loved one's restrictions? The answer should be yes, and the food should be appetizing, nutritious and attractive.
5. What methods do you use to track every resident’s dietary restrictions to make sure resident meals are never swapped by mistake? There should be multiple checkpoints, including an organizational system in the kitchen and clearly marked cards on the trays.
6. What food handling practices do your chefs use to prevent cross-contamination? They should thoroughly clean grills and surfaces and change gloves between allergens or use separate preparation and cooking areas.
7. What happens if someone has a dangerous allergic reaction? There should be an emergency procedure in place, proximity to a hospital, and an on-site nurse available 24/7.
8. Will my loved one eat in the same dining room as those without restrictions? You always want this answer to be yes.
9. How often do you review and update dietary plans? Choose a community that says they update plans as needs change.

We welcome these questions at The Herrick House, and we would love to answer them during a free tour of our five dining areas.

Dine With Dignity at The Herrick House: We’re Here to Help

Managing dietary restrictions at home can add significant stress to mealtimes. At The Herrick House, your loved one enjoys delicious food in a restaurant-like dining experience without the worry. While they’re enjoying time with friends, our professional chefs will be preparing nutritious, colorful meals that honor your loved one’s preferences and restrictions. Mealtimes are always a pleasure here, and your loved one will never feel left out just because their meal needs a personal touch.

Download our Assisted Living Guide to learn about all that our community can offer your loved one. We’d love to meet you and your loved one and give you a tour.