Page 47 - Life Happens in the Kitchen

STAGE FOUR: HOUSEHOLD
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1. Household Dining
a-The transition from neighborhood to household is the ultimate in dining transformation. A household is distinct, with all staff reporting to the household, rather than through departments. A household has a full kitchen serving a small group of residents who truly take charge of their dining. They plan the menu for most, if not
all, meals per week, have full refrigerator rights for their favorite foods and along with staff, manage portions of the household food budget. The entrees for one or two meals may be prepared in a central kitchen, but the household (staff and residents as desired) bring the meal about with preparation of salad and dessert. They may choose to override entrees, replacing them with a special order or preparing the meal in their own kitchen. The household is in charge. The household has permanently assigned staff trained to be versatile workers in dining (and dish washing) in the household. LaVrene Norton, executive leader of Action Pact, says, “A dishwasher is vital; without it the household cannot be fully functional. It’s the key to bringing caregivers closer
to the residents. If we have a dishwasher, we can decentralize staff from the dietary department to work in the households where the elders are. Otherwise the household’s dirty dishes––and the workers who wash them––have to go back to the main kitchen.”
b-All ups. It just doesn’t get any better than this!
c-Regulatory compliance is initially challenging, with the possible need for waivers or variances due primarily to the physical design, and also due to the commitment to individualization. Once established, this model enjoys outstanding success as long as QI monitoring continues the regulatory monitoring.
Recipe for Success
a-what’s the opportunity – terms/description
b-ups and downs c-regulatory considerations
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