Checking Out the Menu at Assisted Living Should Include Breakfast Items

September 23, 2015 by ·

Assisted Living in Mobile AL

Moving into assisted living can be met with a great deal of excitement as well as trepidation. Many people don’t know exactly what to expect when they make this major life change, but there are aAssisted-Living-Mobile-AL number of benefits for seniors who choose this type of living situation.

More and more assisted living communities all across the United States have included full restaurant style eating facilities with a chef, a wide selection of menu items, and more. Many people sit down when interviewing various facilities to look at the menu, see the options, and understand how the menu can change from week to week, month to month, or even day-to-day with various specials.

Most people have a tendency to focus on dinner menu items because they view that as the most significant meal of the day. However, breakfast is still the most important meal of the day, regardless of one’s age.

Because September is All American Breakfast Month, it’s a good idea to sit down and go over the menu in the assisted living restaurant to see what types of foods are available at breakfast.

Variety is great.

Having variety is not only beneficial for emotional frame of mind, it’s also great for health. Having the same foods day in and day out will generally cause them to become bland, boring, and annoying, even. It also may lead to certain vitamin or mineral deficiencies in the body.

Many restaurants serve a variety of eggs, sausage and bacon, fruits, pancakes, and more. Take some time to sit down and go through the various meals of the day at the assisted living restaurant. Make sure it includes protein rich foods, vitamin rich foods like fruits, and starches.

Raising questions about the menu selection.

If there are certain concerns or questions you have about various menu items at the restaurant, you can discuss them with the chef. In most restaurants the chef is responsible for putting together the menu, but in an assisted living community they may work with administrators of the facility to determine what would be best and most nutritional for the residents.

Don’t hesitate to discuss any concerns or questions you may have about the menu at these restaurants. There may be certain items that aren’t on the menu you feel should be there. If that’s the case, the chef might like to know, as would the administrators. There could be a good reason they don’t carry those particular items.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Assisted Living near Mobile, AL, contact Ashbury Manor Specialty Care and Assisted Living at 251-317-3017.

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About Cindy Johnson

Ashbury Manor’s Administrator since 2008, Cindy Johnson is a long-time expert in the assisted living field. Prior to her arrival at Ashbury Manor, Cindy managed acquisitions and crisis management for existing and new larger senior care project developments for eleven years. As regional manager for an Oregon-based assisted living management company, Cindy was directly responsible for operations for five 50-65 bed assisted living facilities. As manager during the transition to new ownership, Cindy reorganized internal operations and conducted leadership training for Executive Directors. As a result of her management and expertise, one of the company’s facilities (in Ocala, Florida) received a deficiency-free survey, resulting in the lifting of a moratorium on operation.

A nurse for 36 years, senior care has always been Cindy’s passion. Desiring to work more closely with residents, Cindy became a Category II Administrator in 2005. As Ashbury Manor’s Administrator, Cindy understands the complexities associated with dementia and cognitive impairment and she has fallen in love with seniors with dementia or cognitive impairment and their families.

Cindy is Treasurer of the local “Senior Coalition” chapter. She enjoys mentoring new candidates who want to become administrators.

As a 16-bed facility, with Cindy's training and experience, our residents and their families can be sure Ashbury Manor’s carefully selected staff provides the expertise of a larger facility while maintaining the individualized personal care of a small special needs home.
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