Page 43 - Life Happens in the Kitchen

STAGE THREE: NEIGHBORHOOD
Page 37
2. Full Kitchens
a-The luckiest of neighborhoods would have a full kitchen where all dining is point- of-service and cooked-to-order! Full kitchens in neighborhoods offer, at the least,
the possibility for cooked-to-order breakfasts on a daily basis, and for special meal preparation as scheduled events. Amenities include stove, refrigerator, garbage disposal, crockpots, steam tables, microwave, ice maker, coffee makers and all the pans and utensils needed to run a kitchen. The ideal kitchen also includes a dishwasher to allow all dishes to remain in the neighborhood, again strengthening the sounds and smells of home. The kitchens are stocked with standard nourishment items, as well as with special items of individual resident request.
b-The costs of construction are challenging, but the rewards for residents, families and staff are beyond measure.
c-Again, sanitation and safety are primary concerns and are managed as described on the previous page. Be sure all staff working in the kitchen are trained in restaurant/ hospitality food preparation and service, and that careful attention to avoiding cross contamination is foremost in everyone’s mind. Regulators will expect anyone cooking in the kitchen to wear a hair restraint and a clean uniform. Staff who have multiple duties should follow standard dietary food preparation procedures when cooking.
d-Lenawee Medical Care Facility in Adrian, MI has neighborhood kitchens that are being renovated into household kitchens through the simple (but challenging) addition of dishwashers and decentralization of dietary staff. This will further their journey
to households and involve versatile workers in serving residents. But meanwhile, in their neighborhoods, they cook breakfast to order and serve point-of-service choice to residents at lunch and supper. Residents help plan the menu, wrap silverware, set tables, prepare food for activities and choose many of the food items stocked in the kitchens. Just think how they will enjoy doing dishes! Or more realistically, preparing the dishes for the institutional wash essential for regulatory compliance.
Recipe for Success
a-what’s the opportunity – terms/description
b-ups and downs c-regulatory considerations d-stories/examples
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