Local care center offers dietary variety to residents
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During an interview on WTIP Wednesday, U.S. Senator Al Franken spoke about senior citizen concerns his staff had gleaned from several meetings around the state. One of those concerns was making nursing homes homier and less institutional. Franken said he was aware of a care center in Perham that has altered its practices in that direction.
According to Diane Pearson, administrator for the Cook County North Shore Hospital and Care Center, this is an idea taking hold around the state and locally as well.
Pearson: Many nursing homes across Minnesota, including the Care Center here in Grand Marais, have been following this practice for some time.
Instead of regimenting the early morning wake-up, for example breakfast is served when the resident gets up and is ready to eat.
Pearson: We recently took our breakfast program a step further by offering a la carte breakfast service to residents every day. Our dietary staff sets up a mini-kitchen in the Care Center dining room every morning from 7:30 to 9:30. When residents arrive for breakfast, the dietary staff offers the menu of the day and asks the resident what they would like to eat. Our menu is limited, but residents do have choices. The resident is then served just as they would be at home.
Pearson expects the a la carte service will soon be expanded to include lunch.
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