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Meals should be about more than just shoveling in the calories. How sad. It's a problem in schools with our young people, and it's a problem in nursing homes with our old people.

I agree that you need to get more families involved in this problem to get any meaningful changes made to the menu. If you can, get other families to also document each meal a few times with both photographs as well as description of its components.

Food is expensive. Yet food waste is a huge problem in this country. Big grocery stores are trying to figure out how to save good food - produce and proteins especially - from the garbage. Perhaps the nursing home can make use of some of this food.

I believe this problem isn't for lack of resources but rather for lack of imagination and creativity. Good food doesn't have to be expensive. It's about caring enough to put in the time and energy to put together nutritious and appetizing meals.
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Cost + dietary restrictions is driving force. Sometimes families bring food. Mealtime is typically a social event, so in order for families to stay through mealtime, they often buy take-out food for themselves, then share with family member. Most feel bad eating someone's favorite food while family member is faced with tasteless, unattractive food. Depending upon individual restrictions, residents may or may not be able to special order things like French fries, onion rings, beverages of choice, hamburgers, dessert. Once or twice weekly a piece of cake may be served depending upon restrictions. I occasionally bring restricted/excluded items for spouse as enjoyable, more healthy foods of choice is a measurement of quality-of-life. Residents also bargain/trade with one another to exchange foods they like/dislike. The trading does get reported - I know because I attended a quarterly review and the trade issue was brought up. I just acted surprised and made no comment. The staff understands food issues and is graceful with families who serve preferred meals to their family member. Of course that's recorded in records too. Given dietary restrictions I do minimize the frequency of my contributions as it is a challenge to keep blood sugars and other things at a stable level. Reminds me of the old jail stories about families bringing food to their incarcerated kin.
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My mom is in LTC and they have restaurant style menus,she says food is very good.
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Each state has laws that require nursing homes to meet daily dietary nutritional standards. Laws also include trying to meet the dietary needs of each resident. I would visit during different meals times and photograph any meager meals that don't meet the state standards. Then take your complaints and photographic evidence to the nursing home ombudsman for the state.
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The slice of white bread would seem to indicate that they are not even observing the gluten free requirement!

I would definitely address with the administrator.
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Yes my mom is gluten and dairy free, which can cause problems. She has have small amounts but large amounts make her nauseous and sick. That is part of the issue I am sure. But this place doesn't even have a menu for them to pick from. And that meal I just saw shows me that she doesn't exaggerate how bad it is. She has also been in a lot of pain the last two weeks. She blames her mattress but I'm wondering if it's lack of protein. I am going to see her tomorrow, I will talk to the administrator then if I can't call her today. Thanks for that idea!
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My mom is also in a nursing home. There are at least two choices for each meal, and my mother's dislikes (rice and cottage cheese) are noted electronically on her "reciept" for each meal. You need to address this situation with the folks at the top.
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My mother loves the food her nursing home serves. The menues look pretty healthy to me.

My aunts loved there food, too. Their nursing home was in another state.

Certainly not all care center food is bad. So sorry yours is!
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A young schoolgirl in Scotland had considerable success taking photos of her school lunches and posting them online, with comments (good or bad).

Never mind the dietitian: where's the cook? Who's in charge of the actual catering service? I like MsMadge's idea of a collective voice, but I'd add - build a relationship with the person who plans and delivers the menu. It's quite possible that when you see what budget s/he is working with you'll have more sympathy with her/him; but also s/he might well respond to someone actually taking a constructive interest in the service. It's hard to take pride in your work if nobody ever says anything about it.
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I would address this immediately with the Administrator of the facility ( not the dietician).

If you see no corrective action in the course of one week, call the Ombudsman andwrite to the Joint Commision on Nursing Home Accreditation.
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Is there a family council ? Complaints from more than one resident might be heard

My mom is in private pay memory care but at least three dinners a week have polish sausage as the protein which makes everyone sick
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