As seniors enter long-term care and senior living communities at increasingly younger ages, the social aspect of dining becomes more important, as well as the quality and presentation of the food. In the coming year, there are key trends that will continue to have a major influence on dining in senior living and retirement communities.
One key trend that is changing the way seniors enjoy their meals is multiple venues. In recent years, senior dining has expanded to include venues like a coffee lounge, pub, as well as a formal dining room. While this may not be the newest trend, the way communities are offering dining venues is changing. To address the issue of labor, different eating venues are offered within the same vicinity, allowing management to shift labor where it’s needed. Automation is key in a European Marketplace or similar setup, where multiple venues operate from a single kitchen. Implementing software, like Tray Tracking from Vision Software, allows you to sort meals by destination, identify service lags, and improve accuracy and service times.
In a specialized environment, it’s important to incorporate elements that cater to the specific needs of the population you serve. For seniors, back-lit LED menus allow for easy menu browsing in a softly-lit restaurant venue. Other features include partitions or divider walls that can safely store and conceal walkers and wheelchairs while residents are dining. Incorporating features that bring a sense of normalcy to mealtimes while accommodating the unique needs of seniors enhance the total dining experience for the consumer while meeting benchmarks for nutrition and service. Ensuring that safety in the senior dining environment extends to the food is easy with Nutrient Labeling and Clinical Nutrition Software from Vision Software. Nutrient Labeling allows you to easily provide nutrition information for everything on your menu, including snacks and nourishments. Vision Software has a number of turnkey solutions that help you keep up with the changing needs and preferences of today’s seniors.
Vision Software is the leading provider of healthcare food service nutrition informatics and software solutions for the healthcare industry in the world. Under the leadership of an original programmer and founder, we have remained committed to our mission to help food and nutrition decision makers improve the lives of the patients and the customers in their care through excellence in software suites and applications and outstanding customer support. Our support specialists are seasoned food and nutrition professionals who apply their in-depth understanding of your challenges and goals to achieve better patient outcomes and greater savings. To learn more about how automation can help you embrace the trends that are shaping senior dining, call Vision Software Today at 629.777.8989 or complete the contact form in the sidebar to schedule your free consultation.