Some folks think improving food service in Senior Living Residential and Nursing Homes means making the food tastier or more varied.  Training for better dining and food service is so much more. It includes learning and practicing a new brand of hospitality until it comes naturally and linking it to health care. Health care and hospitality go hand in hand with every meal brought to the table by caring for food servers. Kind Dining® teaches how they work together. The important word is teaching. Yes, hospitality and health care are part of every dining experience. These skills can be learned and are central to your Senior Living, Rehabilitation Centers, and Long Term Care community’s success. When your food serving staff grasps the training, they adopt a new sense of purpose resulting in receiving a personal benefit from the daily work they do. They will have focus, energy, and know what matters most when they are serving residents partially by being aware of the resident’s needs that are other than the meal served.

The food server sets the ambiance whether it is in a dining room or in individual rooms. Introducing small talk breaks down barriers that often hold fears a resident may be holding in. The food server can build trust and confidence by encouraging residents to talk freely and release those fears. We believe hospitality is a  universal language and crosses all barriers. Remember that mealtimes are still the most important hours of the day for residents. It is the food server who comes in personal contact with each resident and is the company’s most valued employee.

Kind Dining® training guides your food serving staff by bringing out and honing their skills and talents. It is their responsibility to focus on positive events, truly listen, which is the greatest act of generosity they can give to a resident during the brief time they spend together.  Inspire practicing random acts of kindness for coworkers and acknowledging those same deeds received. Suggest keeping gratitude journals and open discussions in meetings with coworkers. Discussions during meetings bring about new ideas, work-saving habits shared and ways to keep foodservice fresh and up-to-date.

Our B♥ Kind® Tip: Specifically trained food servers are the heart of your community.