Is Your Community Dining Room Rising to the Challenge Set by the American Geriatrics Society? Part 1

Remember being 24 years old, going out to dinner with the person/people you wanted most to spend time with. See yourself being recognized when you were greeted at the door of the restaurant and was led to a table you favored. This was where you wanted to savor your choice of food, chat about the day’s happenings and share ideas about what was going on in your life and what the future held. You wanted to linger over dessert without anyone rushing you. You waited all day for that moment. You prepared for it, selected what you wanted to wear and maybe gave thought to subjects you wanted to discuss with that special someone or that special group.

A senior’s physical and cognitive functions may have changed and may have cause for adaptive tools or assistance in one way or another but, inside they are still twenty-four years old and wanting the same joys as when they were that young age. When your community food servers look into a senior’s eyes, as they greet them, and call them by name, they will see that long ago sparkle of youth that still resides within.  This moment will relay to the sensitive food server that this person deserves the best service she can give. This is a focus of Kind Dining® training.

Our B♥ Kind® Tip: Your community dining room can improve resident weight-loss management!

About Cindy Heilman

Cindy is the founder and owner of Kind Dining®, which she began in 2006. She’s traveled across the country and Canada working with and training senior living communities that want to create an exceptional dining experience for their residents and staff. In addition, she certifies select professionals in her Kind Dining® philosophy and provides tools, now in an eLearning format, that make learning stick and help people put insights into action. As a result of her work, clients often share their staff has a new sense of purpose, get along better and keep their focus and energy on what matters most. In fact, she wrote a book, Hospitality for Boomers on how to attract residents and keep good team members. In her free time, she enjoys walking Oregon trails and cheering on her favorite soccer teams, the Portland Thorns and Timbers.

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