Can anything be done to improve meal quality in nursing home?
My mom lives in a fairly upscale nursing home, at least good for Medicaid accepted ones. But the food is horrible. My mom has been to 4 nursing homes over rehab and long term and this is by far the worst. Some days she gets hamburgers for lunch and dinner several days in a row. Just yesterday I visited and the entire lunch was one piece of white bread, a plate of what looked like tomato soup with noodles thrown in it, it seriously looked half eaten there was barely anything there, and melon. Luckily I brought my mom pizza for lunch that day, but I really wish I took a picture of that meal. There was absolutely no protein and I don't see how that would fill anyone.
I keep my mom supplied with items to make sandwiches and meals as I can, but is there anything that can be done to improve the meal situation there? No protein is a common one and my mom has spoken to the dietitian several times. She is cognitively there and can voice her opinion just fine fortunately, but in this case nothing is working. I know nursing homes are notorious for bad food, but is there anything can I do or someone I can contact to help change the food?
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A nurse once told me that staffing ratings can be misleading. A facility may, for example, have three stars for staffing which is apparently based on patient-nurse/etc ratio however they may be more efficient than another facility with a higher rating due to a larger but less efficient staff.
As for hospital discharge people - specifically the social workers I spoke to at the hospital, they knew nothing. They just wanted the patient out. They handed me a paper with a list of nursing homes and let me do the research. I found some of them appalling. The hospital, a very good one, should be ashamed to include these nursing homes on the list. I found the hospital social workers uninformed and unhelpful. Maybe the law restricts what they can say but trying to get some real help at a moment of crisis was impossible.
I'm not sure what to make of this. MsMadge, another poster has her mom in
a 5 star memory care place that sounds like a poorly run asylum. My mom is in a one star place getting fabulous care.
Apparently, the ratings don't tell the whole story, which is why you have to visit and see for yourself. When mom first entered here, it was on the recommendation of the discharge folks at the hospital. We said " but their rating..." The nurse, "go see for yourselves".
I have no idea about confessions. Father is on staff and visits each resident who so desires frequently.
Just curious....If nuns distribute communion daily, how often does a priest come to hear confessions?
Geriatrician on site who examines mom when needed and advises on treatment and consults with family. Psychiatric APRN who visits and consults on/adjusts mom's antidepressants and antianxiety meds. Wound doctor who visits regularly. Podiatry services. Audiologist, optomotrist and dental hygienist who visit and examinr/ service mom.
Social worker who answers my emails in 24 hours.
Yes, i think this is worth the $12,000 per month mom is paying. She wil run out of funds in three years (she's 93 now. She has been there for almost 3 years). I'm grateful we found a facility that would accept Medicaid after 3 years private pay. She wil run out of funds in 2 years.
Her curent payments offset not just her future costs, but those of current Medicaid residents. Happy to pay it forward.
It's still profit, that is one top of the profit from room and board.
I'm not surprised. There are seniors who don't want to/ feel like eating so there could be some savings in not feeding them 3 meals a day. Yes, the food is blah and bland,
I try to get her takeout from a family diner at least a couple if times a week - I have no idea was they served tonight as menu said chef's choice but mom had tummy trouble and her poor bedridden roommate was vomiting - I had to f fetch a nurse at midnight to help her
My step father was recently in a nursing home inside a hospital. It is called a Skilled Nursing Facility...It is a great place. Medicaid was paying for his stay.
He was there for 2 years until his recent passing 3 weeks ago. He enjoyed the food until recently and wanted a change. I talked to the dietitian and found out that he could design his own menu, from the choices she provided, for the next 21 days in a row...all 3 meals. Then it would repeat. And if he didn't see what he wanted on the menu, he could write in what he wanted! The dietitian was helpful to the extreme to try to get him what he wanted. So the key is ... get to the dietitian, find out what is possible, and if that doesn't work, escalate to the next level! Don't just accept the status quo without investigating!
The diet was extremely tricky as it was amazing how many food items contain gluten and dairy. Just curious what type of items are you bringing your Mom to make sandwiches or is she making lettuce sandwiches with the lettuce wrapped around the meat or chicken?
My Dad is on a dairy free diet, so I supply his Assisted Living kitchen with his LACTAID® Milk and LACTAID® ice cream. Dad gets his fair share of protein with fish, chicken, eggs, nuts, green peas and beans. Sometimes lactose free yogurt. Dad has a menu style meal, thus sometimes he only orders soup and salad for lunch so he can have his heavier meal at supper.
Second, special diets have to have written orders from an MD. You can't just ask for a diabetic meal. It has to be ordered by your doctor. Same with gluten free; it has to have a doctor's order. The health department makes the rules, facilities just follow them.
But also remember that, simply knowing that there is an Ombudsman and Joint Commision out there is very empowering. At a point when my mom's care was substandard and there didn't seem to be anything anyone could do, asking the administrator why my next call shouldn't be the the Ombudsman and Joint Commision lit a fire like I'd never seen. Just keep it in your pocket.
They're competitive; nursing homes if run more like a competitive business would be able to see the value of high standards across the board.
The facility I've taken Dad to 3 times for rehab falls in that category. When issues have arisen, I've gone to the DON or the Administrator, if staff isn't able to resolve the problem. I follow the chain of command and with the exception of a few problems last time (which I was unaware of as I wasn't able to visit as often), issues have been resolved satisfactorily.
This favorite rehab facility (also now expanding to long term care) hired a chef from one of the top upscale restaurants in the area. Menus were planned as if they were in fact operating a restaurant, but not at the level of lobster and prime rib offerings. There was a standard alternate menu with a good choice of items.
This facility also offered one free meal to one family member, a nice way to begin a relationship with the family as well as the elder.
Our first experience with rehab was when we were still novices. Food was generally good, always served hot in a manner hospitals use (warmth held into the food by covers, delivered on carts). If Mom didn't like the food, sometimes we supplemented with food from home, but if my recollection is correction the food staff could make accommodations for special diets.
I would first try to discuss the issue with management and find solutions at the facility level. If you go beyond and bring in an Ombudsman, it puts unwanted pressure and embarrassment on the management, which might in fact be willing to work with you and address the problem.
I like the "speak softly and carry a big stick" philosophy.
And remember, staff in these facilities are subject to criticism at perhaps a level seen only in hospitals. If attorneys, repair shops, restaurants and more found themselves explaining to oversight authorities, they might just tell the complaining person on the next visit that they're no longer handling his/her work, or the repair shop is booked for the next several weeks and can't accommodate them, or that the restaurant is already booked to capacity and it's suggested the complainer find another restaurant.