by Cindy Heilman | Build Communities of Belonging
Hilda was having her annual insurance check-up online via her computer. They were in the middle of the session, and insurance representative Mrs. Jones was asking questions.
“Do you understand everything so far? Do you have any questions?” Mrs. Jones was on top of things.
“Well, yes, I do. I toured a senior living community yesterday. I never thought I would be interested in that style of living, but the tour has me rethinking. How would my insurance work if I lived in that community? I have to tell you, I was impressed!
Everyone was kind and considerate, not just the tour guide but the other staff. Residents stopped and gave me comments, mentioning how many years they lived in the community and how much they enjoyed it. One lady even told me she fought against her daughter’s wishes to help her sell her house and move here. She thought she would hate it.
But no. Just the opposite. She kicks herself for not coming sooner. The woman mentioned trying to keep up with house maintenance after her husband passed away, dealing with repairmen, watching her savings account dwindle, and wondering if they were taking advantage of her.
She thought of all the lonely nights she spent at home, with no one to talk to except the TV and nowhere to go after dark.
She gave me her apartment number and said to look her up when I moved in. She’ll help me meet people and find my way around. She was quite talkative.”
“Well,” Mrs. Jones said, “I really . . . . “
“Furthermore,” Hilda continued. “My ladyfriend was with me, and we had lunch. Oh, the wait staff was so kind and attentive. Not only to us because we were potential residents, but I watched. They were kind and talked to everyone like they were family. Well, maybe better than family.”
Hilda laughed at her joke before going on again. “Our young girl came and refilled our coffee cups 3 times! And there was no extra charge on the tab. She did that with the other tables, too.
I watched closely. It was like they were dancers choreographed in a play. They breezed in, carrying those big trays like they were toys. Chatting while they set the plates exactly where they belonged. I watched that, too. No plates were changed, and no plates were removed until they were empty.
Did I tell you how delicious the food was? Everyone had menus handed to them. Can you imagine? Who knew something like this was available to me? I put my house up for sale an hour after I got home. I hate to admit my daughter was right, but right is right. I’m going to live in a senior living community! Now, about my insurance….”
Kindness and consideration can be learned through Kind Dining® training sessions. Your staff deserves to learn all the skills that make them better at their jobs. Residents deserve to receive kindness and consideration each time they interact with any member of your senior living community’s staff. Kindness is who we are. We Bring Warmth to the Table.
Be ♥ Kind Tip: Guests touring your community will respond to the kindnesses they see.
by Cindy Heilman | Build Communities of Belonging, Resident Centered Dining Service
This conversation came to me from a woman who knows how I work to improve senior and assisted living through staff empathy and kindness.
“I stopped at a small local café type restaurant for lunch the other day. It was after the usual lunch hour which I chose because it is always a lot quieter and the waitstaff aren’t in a mad rush getting everyone’s meal out while it’s still hot. When eating solo, I often bring my journal to update. I always carry it with me. Sally spotted me coming through the door and immediately came to my chosen table before the other waiters even saw me. I like when she waits on me. She always gives her best, carrying cheerfulness and consideration with her. Today she was wearing a pale pink tee shirt with a saying across it.”
“Welcome. It’s good to see you today.” She said with a beaming smile as she handed a menu to me. “What would you like to drink while you read today’s specials?”
“Water with lemon and no ice for now.” I replied and commented. “Is pink your favorite color? You are positively glowing today.”
“Yes, it is. I wore it today because I think it makes other people happy, customers and other food servers alike. Besides that, we have a new junior cook in the kitchen. He is quite handsome and single, too.” She laughed at her own confession.
“I thought about Sally while she went off to get my water. She paused to answer a question from another table, smiling and leaving laughter behind as she continued to the kitchen. It was like she left a trail of sparkles behind her as she breezed across the room. I wondered if the owners knew how fortunate they were to have her. Without effort she added so much more to a simple lunch.”
It’s true that some people are applauded when they enter a room and some when they leave it. I happen to know that if you don’t carry a natural ability for pleasantry, you can learn how to do just that. It is a choice that can be made through learning how to add that particular skill to your set of skills.
The Kind Dining® training curriculum addresses how your employees can learn to be at their best every day. Everyone in your aging services community will benefit from it, your employees most of all. And they don’t have to wear pink to carry the inner glow that comes from the challenge and growth of doing their best.
Be ♥ Kind Tip: Happiness is a choice, like doing your best is a choice.
by Cindy Heilman | Build Communities of Belonging, Resident Centered Dining Service, Training
“My daughter tells me it is hard to make new friends,” Coleen told Kelly. They were having lunch after a long stretch of being too busy to get away. “She’s at college, the first time away from home. I almost laughed at her because I know how hard it is when you get older like our residents coming into our senior community when they don’t know a soul here.
“I know what that is like since I moved halfway across the country just before I came to work here. From my experience, I instinctively knew how to show extra care and attention, especially when serving someone who comes into the dining room without a friend.”
“Thanks for telling me,” Kelly replied. I was born and raised in this county and have always lived here. I would never have thought of that. I guess the training courses that teach us about building relationships with the elders and being aware of any resident who seems to be lonely are definitely for me.
“I behave as the training suggests because I enjoy talking with our residents. Now, I am content to know the cause of the loneliness that overcomes some of our elders. Those are some of the reasons, anyway. I know there is more to it. So many residents have outlived many of their friends and family.”
Coleen continued. “We improve their lives by adding intentional acts of kindness and awareness of their problems. Last week, I took Mary B. to the big table and introduced her to the group that usually sits there. They welcomed her with open arms. I knew they would. She’s been smiling ever since.”
Kind Dining® knows an educated staff that serves meals and cares about the residents in the community where they work, which is your company’s golden asset.
It’s vital that residents feel at home and know their neighbors, though many elders are too shy to meet new people on their own. The servers in the community are a major part of their contentment, helping them to feel secure and opening the way to happiness.
Kind Dining ® training modules teach your employees to understand the aging process, how your serving staff can make a difference, and how to protect the dignity of your senior population.
Encourage your serving team to notice opportunities to improve the dining experience around them. Call to arrange a schedule of training modules that fit into your employees’ working schedules.
B♥ Kind Tip: You know that your food serving team is your company’s best asset!
by Cindy Heilman | Resident Centered Dining Service
DiningRD Acquires Kind Dining
I want to let you know that Kind Dining is transitioning to become part of a more significant movement to enhance relationships and the dining experience in senior living communities across the United States and Canada.
Please understand how critical you all are to positively affect the lives of people living and working in senior living environments.
It’s been my personal mission to fill the gaps, create the way for relationship bonds between staff and residents, and reduce the epidemic of loneliness through staff personal and professional growth through education, skill development, and consistent training.
Being acquired by DiningRD is an honor. It offers a fresh approach to breaking down barriers within and around the dining experience.
Helping people open their hearts and minds to find a new sense of purpose, love their work, and keep their focus and energy on what matters most.
This is key to building communities of belonging.
Thank you for being a part of the Kind Dining Community.
Your support, business, constructive feedback, stories, and love all contributed to the enthusiasm and resources that have contributed to our success.
I am grateful for you.
I will stay an active partner with DiningRD as a mentor and coach.
You can read more details in the press release below.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/diningrd-acquires-kind-dining-302089400.html?tc=eml_cleartime
Kindness is a way of Life ~
Cindy
