Caring and catering through the pandemic
In our latest video, Adrian Silaghi (Head of Catering Services) and Leni Wood (Nutrition and Wellness Manager) talk about the benefits of Nutritional Therapy at Nellsar and how, despite these challenging times, we maintain our superior catering provision across our 13 Care Homes.
Nutritional Therapy acknowledges the kitchen as the medicine cabinet and there’s vast amounts evidence based research to support the benefits of an individual tailored and nutrient-rich diet. As we age our bodies have different needs and better nutrition becomes particularly important. Understanding the foundations of good nutrition remains key to good health.
Adrian and Leni reveal how we have adapted to the dramatic changes that came about as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, including how we approach food, dining and nutrition. Health and immunity are our greatest defence against viruses, including Coronavirus, so we have looked at ways of including additional immune boosting foods into our menus without compromising on our residents’ preferences.
When it comes to the dining experience, residents can choose how they dine. Whether it’s in a shared social environment with friends or in the privacy of their own room. Many of our Homes offer dining areas with different atmospheres; this can be especially helpful for residents who have dementia.
All of our dishes are professionally prepared and presented beautifully. Some of our residents may have vision problems so we develop dishes that are colourful, bold on the plate and are served in well lit areas. We create puréed versions of our dishes for residents who have swallowing difficulties and we photograph our dishes so residents can choose what they want.
Foods that evoke positive feelings have shown a beneficial impact on residents’ well-being in the past. An example of this is a resident who had not been eating well in their own home before moving to Nellsar. The Catering Team began making them their favourite traditional Caribbean foods and they began eating well again.
Click here to watch the Nutrition and Wellness video
