food in residential homes ?
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This will produce a very mixed bag of answers I think.
Homes will vary as will the carer's expectations and what they like and dislike.
My wife has a standard choice at breakfast each day: toast, jam, marmalade, porridge, cereal, boiled eggs and then whatever they're doing that day; fried eggs, omelette, bacon, sausages it varies day to day you can have any combination you want.
Lunch is meat and 2 veg but there will be an option like beans or sandwiches.
Evening meal is lighter but still a full meal and dessert.
Visitors can usually have a meal (free) if they want, I get asked most days so I've had the odd bacon or chip butty there.
Biscuits are always in the cupboard and there's usually cakes in the fridge.
It isn't Gordon Ramsey but it's all cooked fresh on site. I don't have any complaints.
K
Homes will vary as will the carer's expectations and what they like and dislike.
My wife has a standard choice at breakfast each day: toast, jam, marmalade, porridge, cereal, boiled eggs and then whatever they're doing that day; fried eggs, omelette, bacon, sausages it varies day to day you can have any combination you want.
Lunch is meat and 2 veg but there will be an option like beans or sandwiches.
Evening meal is lighter but still a full meal and dessert.
Visitors can usually have a meal (free) if they want, I get asked most days so I've had the odd bacon or chip butty there.
Biscuits are always in the cupboard and there's usually cakes in the fridge.
It isn't Gordon Ramsey but it's all cooked fresh on site. I don't have any complaints.
K
It depends on the home.
The first one my mum stayed in spent less than £1 per head on the main meal and offered sandwiches for the other meal.
The second one seemed to offer more of a variety but it was still only two choices or sandwiches as the alternative. Mum ate well to start with there. She put on some weight.
The first one my mum stayed in spent less than £1 per head on the main meal and offered sandwiches for the other meal.
The second one seemed to offer more of a variety but it was still only two choices or sandwiches as the alternative. Mum ate well to start with there. She put on some weight.
In Pete's CH the food was different to what he had when he was well; his tastes seemed to connect more with his childhood. Roasts, lots of veg, fish (always on Friday), stews etc. Breakfast was toast/cereal and the option of a cooked breakfast and tea (as opposed to dinner) was something on toast or an omlette followed by a pudding. Cake/biscuits etc in between. There was always 'extras' for those with good appetites.
Found this thread quite by accident. I noticed how beautifully cooked the vegetables were. Always fresh veg. They do great casseroles at the home my husband is in. I love the smell of cooking there! They prefer no visiting at meal times as any hospital would. Or, if you can't avoid being there at meal times, you wait in the person's room until they come out of the dining room.
Mums CH uses meat and veg supplied by the local farms and meals are cooked fresh in their kitchen. They mostly cook simple homely food that the residents might have eaten in the past.
Breakfast is toast/cereal/a cooked breakfast of some sort (poached eggs on toast, egg and bacon etc). The main meal is at mid-day: a roast on Sunday, fish and chips on Friday, casseroles, cottage pie, sausages and mash etc. It is followed by a dessert: apple pie, chocolate sponge with custard, tinned fruit and evaporated milk (it was considered a treat during the war!). Soup is always available. There is always a choice - usually of 3 things. Tea is usually a choice of sandwiches or something cooked like quiche, cold meat pie or cheese and onion pudding - followed by cake. I havent eaten there, but it always looks nice.
Snacks such as biscuits, yoghurt, toast etc are always available - even during the night.
Breakfast is toast/cereal/a cooked breakfast of some sort (poached eggs on toast, egg and bacon etc). The main meal is at mid-day: a roast on Sunday, fish and chips on Friday, casseroles, cottage pie, sausages and mash etc. It is followed by a dessert: apple pie, chocolate sponge with custard, tinned fruit and evaporated milk (it was considered a treat during the war!). Soup is always available. There is always a choice - usually of 3 things. Tea is usually a choice of sandwiches or something cooked like quiche, cold meat pie or cheese and onion pudding - followed by cake. I havent eaten there, but it always looks nice.
Snacks such as biscuits, yoghurt, toast etc are always available - even during the night.
Thank you all for your replies. Having a bit of an issue with res home. Food now ready meals that are brought in. Not great quality and with dad being incredibly thin now I am getting concerned. He is eating but it is really only 'adequate' biscuits offered are basic ones and he cannot eat them ( especially since loosing his bottom denture .. 5 weeks ago and they had not even asked for the dentist to sort replacements). Have just asked for referral to dietician and GP reply was that nutrition was 'adequate' in the home. What can I say to that ? My poor dad cannot even chew his food right now.
not really happy with the care right now .. oral hygiene is a major issue ( raised 3 times now and not being addressed) oral hygiene record in room completed once in 2 weeks ( that sort of frequency) . everything taking a toll on dad who is incredibly thin. Feeling very much like GP sees it as Gods Waiting room and not really interested now they have the do not resus permission.
Have contacted CQC but doubt much will come from that .
I am just feeling really despondent.and helpless to ensure dads care is good. This used to be a good care home and I don't think it is now. Unfortunately I feel dad is too frail to move too.
Just feeling down about it all to be honest.
not really happy with the care right now .. oral hygiene is a major issue ( raised 3 times now and not being addressed) oral hygiene record in room completed once in 2 weeks ( that sort of frequency) . everything taking a toll on dad who is incredibly thin. Feeling very much like GP sees it as Gods Waiting room and not really interested now they have the do not resus permission.
Have contacted CQC but doubt much will come from that .
I am just feeling really despondent.and helpless to ensure dads care is good. This used to be a good care home and I don't think it is now. Unfortunately I feel dad is too frail to move too.
Just feeling down about it all to be honest.
Gosh! In my husband's nursing home, they had a beautiful dining room like a restaurant, and a fully staffed kitchen where everything was cooked fresh, and tailored to the individual resident's needs - eg, special diets, pureed food, higher (or lower) calorie meals etc. And on Sunday, residents were offered a choice of red or white wine with lunch. Most only took a sip or two - but you could see that the wine made the whole Sunday lunch a special thing for them, whether they drank it or not. A wonderful subtle way of orienting residents in the day of the week.
Every meal, they had a choice. And there were snacks available. When my husband's appetite waned, and he wouldn't eat enough, the kitchen head sought me out one day because he wanted to make a list of anything we could think of that he could get in to try to get William to eat more.
Every meal, they had a choice. And there were snacks available. When my husband's appetite waned, and he wouldn't eat enough, the kitchen head sought me out one day because he wanted to make a list of anything we could think of that he could get in to try to get William to eat more.
This is so sad, and I can appreciate how helpless you must be feeling.
I can only suggest you keep on at them about the issues that concern you, put it in writing to the manager, and hope that your persistence does some good.
Are there any high-calorie treats you could take in for him to snack on?
I understand your reluctance to move your dad, but if it's any consolation, my own dad had to be moved after five years, from EMI residential to an EMI nursing home, and the move did not unsettle him as much as I had feared.
That is wonderful .. every meal in my dads care home they get dilute orange juice... my dad never drank that in his life. I am not sure why they always do that.. would I drink it with every meal? No so why assume when you get older that you should. Maybe they should have water ..
Is it a very small privately run home?
Has he been there long?
Why has this change come about?
For Mum eating was the points about which her day happened, breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, Snack, tea AND supper if they wanted it. It seemed they were always eating! So sad when such an important feature is lacking.
'Adequate' nutrition isn't really good enough, given the amount you no doubt pay. Good nutrition is so important
Has he been there long?
Why has this change come about?
For Mum eating was the points about which her day happened, breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, Snack, tea AND supper if they wanted it. It seemed they were always eating! So sad when such an important feature is lacking.
'Adequate' nutrition isn't really good enough, given the amount you no doubt pay. Good nutrition is so important
This is an interesting thread. Food/meal times are so important, socially and nutritionally, and whilst I appreciate that this government document is a bit "wordy", if you have a look through it, there is some interesting bits and pieces of note.
http://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/multimedia/pdfs/carehomemenus.pdf
http://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/multimedia/pdfs/carehomemenus.pdf
While nursing homes obviously differ over here, I think the system is a bit fairer. The nursing home charges whatever per week (and William's was actually one of the cheaper ones around here, the building is old and a bit shabby here and there), but self funders and those on subsidised funding pay the same. For those on subsidised funding, the centralised government department work out what the resident contributes, based on their income and assets including the home, and the State pays the remainder - whether "the remainder " amounts to €200 per week or €1,000.