Question

Family Style Meal Service and Food Costs

1. What can the administrator of a nursing facility do to minimize pilferage of assets such as supplies and food?
2. Discuss some factors that should be evaluated to determine the costs and benefits of providing family-style meal service in a nursing facility.

Answer 1

Nursing facility with dietary department are the major source of food wastage. 30 % of food get wasted from health sector. The main reason for food wastage is due to serving foods to patients with out considering appetite and mood of patient. Ex) A patient with chronic pain ultimately skip his meal time as pain will interfere his appetite.

Nursing home patient feels lonely as they are missing

Family style meal service in a nursing facility their family, home environment and feel lonely. Providing food to patient in their private room make patient to feel isolated.Family style meal service is providing food in a dining room of nursing facility where individual food preferences are met. In a common dining all residents in nursing facility sit together and have food.

This kind of dining helps residents in nursing facility develops sense of belongingness, good rapport with other residents, knowing about staff caring for them. Proper intake of food in a pleasant and stimulating environment improves patients nutritional status, quality of life and favorable outcome of disease.