“When my husband and I decided it was time to move to a senior living community, the first thing I said was, ‘I’m going to miss going out to restaurants to dine.’” Mrs. Long was talking with her friend about her and her husband’s plans. “As seniors, after struggling financially in the early years of marriage, building careers, raising the … Continue reading
Is this a good time to look at your food service through the eyes of your customers as top top-notch restaurateurs do? Do you realize that your residents yearn for the same quality of food and service that their favorite restaurants gave them? Those are the restaurants, bistros, and trattorias they patronized before they made your community their home. That … Continue reading
Many seniors will decide to leave their present home and make their new and final home in a senior or an assisted living community. This is a lifetime decision and not one that is made lightly. When keeping this in mind, your food servers have the power to reassure any hesitancy of these new residents. Incorporating kindness into their … Continue reading
Starting over. Your new residents are starting over, sometimes after living in the same house for 50 or 60 years. They had to downsize, give away, donate, or throw away their lifetime of brick a brac, and souvenirs. Art treasures and wall hangings must go. There is no room in their new home. Clothes closets must be reduced to fit … Continue reading
Everyone has a story. Ending an old year and beginning a new one brings out the stories that residents find satisfying to tell. The savvy food server gives the best gift and builds a good relationship when he/she listens intently to what the resident wants to share. Listening is a skill that can be learned and practiced. It not only … Continue reading
Imagine sitting in your room in a senior retirement living community. You have survived the loneliness of isolation from the Covid-19 pandemic, but now it is over. Yet you are still lonely because you moved into this caring community just before the pandemic started, and you never had a chance to make friends. Loneliness feeds on your immunity. You only … Continue reading
“Well, now that you have been on the job, let’s see…6 months, what do you think?” Laura asked Susan, the newcomer to the senior living community food service team. “Do you have an hour? I have lots to say for an answer.” Susan replied in a joking manner. “I’m listening and curious.” Laura knew Susan came to the community soon … Continue reading
What are the toughest problems older adults face in their communities today? It isn’t the lack of a swimming pool or a 5-star restaurant. Loneliness and isolation are at the top of the list. They are two challenges that became prevalent during the coronavirus pandemic and remain within many senior and assisted living communities. The huge loss of family members … Continue reading
I am delighted when friends of mine, knowing my passion for my work, bring personal stories and feedback to me from the retirement and assisted living industry. This is another recent one that reinforces the importance of my beliefs in the training curriculum I’ve created. She began to tell me, “I was enjoying my visit with Ellie as five of … Continue reading
Moving into a new home can be strange and difficult for anyone at any time. Making your last move into a senior living community, knowing it is the last time you will change your residence, can be unsettling. This change in a new resident’s life can be scary, especially if they are stepping into a place where they know no … Continue reading
