Recently whilst staying on my own in a hotel overnight on business, I had to make the decision about where I would choose to eat my evening meal.
Either way, I would be eating alone ……..
So, would I prefer to order room service and eat in my bedroom or venture down to the bar/restaurant and sit in a more public space for my meal??
My choice was, that even though I would be alone, I would actually prefer to go and sit and eat in the hotel bar area.?
Eating alone in my hotel room would be pretty soleless, I thought.?
At least in the?bar area there would be other people, perhaps also dining alone, maybe some music, and a friendly waiter or barman to chat to.?
And this got me thinking about the ladies and gents who live in care homes, and who, either by personal choice or necessity, eat their meals in their bedrooms.
What does their dining experience look and feel like, and how should it be?
This question has proved to be a popular one when I talk to care home managers about their dining experience.
Research has proven that social isolation increases the risk of malnutrition, so it's crucial that we take steps to ensure our ladies and gents’?bedroom mealtime experience is equal in quality, planning, and delivery, to ensure it’s just as dignified and enjoyable?as the dining room experience itself.?
I believe a good place to start is to really think about?our own expectations of room service whilst staying in hotels
Here are our top 15 tips for delivering a 5-star bedroom mealtime experience.
- Ensure that your ladies and gents are offered show plates of the menu choices in their rooms or use a menu communication book for those who struggle with verbal communication.
- Ensure that meal delivery trays are attractively laid?and include any condiments to complement the meal of choice. Take a picture of what a meal tray should look like and introduce this as the quality standard for every meal.
- Know your ladies and gents capabilities at mealtimes so that they are provided with appropriate cutlery and crockery to support independence wherever possible.
- Plate meals up as close to delivery as possible to make sure hot food and drinks are still hot when delivered – use heated plates or keep warm plates and insulated mugs and lids to preserve heat.?
- We all eat with our eyes first so its important that food looks appetising and is attractively presented. For those on pureed diets, food moulds and food thickener?help to improve not only meal presentation dramatically, but nutritional intake too.?
- Take the opportunity to have a friendly chat when delivering meals to help to lift peoples’ spirits and prevent feelings of loneliness.
- Open curtains and switch lights on, good lighting is very important for mood and enjoyment of mealtimes particularly for those with visual impairment.?
- Your lady or gent should be sitting upright and alert?and be ready for their meal.
- When presenting meals, always describe the food you’re serving and ask if any assistance is needed to cut food up into smaller pieces for ease of eating.
- Is there a friend or relative who could come in at mealtimes to sit and eat with them, instead of them having to eat alone??
- If not, what music do they like? Suggest playing some of their favourite soothing music gently in the background as they eat.
- Position meals so that they’re within easy reach, directly within the eyeline and there is colour contrast between plate and tray.
- Make sure mealtimes aren’t rushed and that people are given plenty of time to eat their meals so they can savour and enjoy them.
- Keep checking back in to see if any additional support, encouragement?eating or second helpings are required.
- Get feedback at the end of meals on people’s level of enjoyment of meals and communicate this to catering staff and management.
These are relatively simple tips which can improve the bedroom dining experience for the people you support and can make a big difference to their day and their overall wellbeing.
If you would like a checklist of our top 15 bedroom mealtime experience tips, sign up here.?
