// BLOG
Mark Dougherty Wins Hospitality for Boomers
May 18, 2012
Just for clicking “Like” on the Higher Standards Facebook page this week, Mark Dougherty wins a copy of Hospitality for Boomers: How to attract residents, retain staff, and maximize profitability. Thanks so much, Mark, for being a fan of Higher Standards; your book is on its way.
Do you like Higher Standards? Pop over to Facebook to let us know. We’re giving away a copy of Hospitality for Boomers to one lucky attendee of this week’s webinar, Winning at Dining. We’ll announce the winner on the Higher Standards Facebook page.
Want a copy of Hospitality for Boomers for yourself or your staff? Order today and save 15%!
3 Ways to Advocate for Higher Standards in Your Dining Room
April 9, 2012
This week, the health care industry celebrates National Patient Advocacy Week (April 9th – 13th), which started me thinking about how senior living communities can advocate on behalf of residents for higher standards in the dining room.
Here are three easy tips for fostering hospitality and service improvement in your community:
- Shift your service focus to put residents’ needs first—and encourage your dining service team to do so as well.
- Teach your staff the importance dining has for the overall health and well-being of the community.
- Share your copies of Kind Dining® Connection with your staff. The Be Kind tips are perfect for passing out to servers or posting in the break room. The Activities Director or Dining Manager will appreciate the Table Tip. News and best practices articles will be helpful to managers and team leads.
Reader Letter: Dad and the Mystery Mush
April 5, 2012
Dear Cindy,
No mystery mush for me, please.
Your recent Kind Dining® Connection article, Mechanical Art Comes of Age, brought to mind a situation with my Dad that happened 4 years ago when he was in the physical rehab center.
They brought him his meal; we couldn’t identify it. We could see it was some sort of pureed protein mush in a heap. Hot dogs were on the menu. He tasted it. Sure enough, hot dog.
I said, “Dad, why are they pureeing your food?”
He said, “I don’t know; it’s been that way since I got here. That nurse I don’t like walked into my room and said, ‘I need to see your teeth.’ So, I showed her my teeth. And my food has always arrived pureed.”
My Dad could chew just fine with his teeth, although he was missing some teeth (we got him dentures not long after).
So I asked, “Well, did she ask you if you had problems chewing?”
“No,” Dad said.
“Were you eating pureed food at the hospital? Could the doctor have sent this order?” I pressed.
“No, I had regular food at the hospital,” Dad said, “She’s the only one who has ever given me pureed food.”
Needless to say, I tracked down someone who could change my Dad’s orders to regular food, but I was shocked a nurse would just look in his mouth, never ask him, and then make the decision to send pureed food.
Also, according to Dad, pureed hot dog is really disgusting.
<shudder>
Keep up the good work, Cindy. Our beloved elders need us to raise dining service standards in our healthcare and senior living communities.
LLF
It’s National Doctor’s Day
March 30, 2012
Hug Your Doctor Today!
According to the National Doctor’s Day Organization, 
National Doctors’ Day is celebrated every year on March 30th to recognize the work of doctor’s do to serve our country by caring for our citizens.
You can learn more at DoctorsDay.org.
American Diabetes Association Alert Day
March 27, 2012
Learn more about the signs, dangers, and treatment of diabetes from the American Diabetes Association and be sure to take the Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test – it’s free, it’s fast, it’s easy, and it might just save your life!
Did you know: How you eat is one of the most important factors in controlling diabetes and preventing type 2 diabetes? So be kind to yourself with your dining! The American Diabetes Association has some great recipes to help you get started.
Module 1 Example Book
Here is an example of the Kind Dining Training Book.Kind Dining® Connection
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