In-house collaboration delivers memorable diner-style lunch to Pleasant Meadow residents
‘You could hear a pin drop in all the dining rooms as residents thoroughly enjoyed and devoured their chosen meal’
What began as an idea to make onion rings for Pleasant Meadow Manor residents quickly blossomed into an interdepartmental collaboration that created a 1950s-style diner for everyone that raised money for the Norwood long-term care home’s garden.
In late May, life enrichment co-ordinator Kim Williams asked nutritional care manager Judy Schell if she and her team could make onion rings for residents on June 22 to celebrate National Onion Ring Day.
Judy liked the idea but suggested they do more than just make onion rings. Judy envisioned making onion rings as well as hamburgers, chicken burgers, french fries and root beer floats to create a diner atmosphere that would bring back fond memories for residents.
To sweeten the deal, meals could be sold to staff members with all proceeds going towards beautifying the home’s garden.
The two departments collaborated to make this happen.
The nutritional care team prepared the food while the life enrichment team made the floats and decorated the dining areas. Decorations included a large sign that read “PMM Diner” and a jukebox.
Team members served residents wearing special hand-painted hairnets, and the burgers, onion rings and fries were served in handmade containers that were delivered on a tray, diner-style.
It was immediately evident this was going over well with residents, Kim says.
“You could hear a pin drop in all the dining rooms as residents thoroughly enjoyed and devoured their chosen meal,” she tells The OMNIway.
“Some commented that they were stuffed and that they hadn’t had a root beer float since they were kids.”
It turns out staff members enjoyed organizing this event as much as the residents enjoyed eating the delicious food.
“All the staff that were involved in pulling this off have asked to do it again, so I take this collaboration of the life enrichment and nutritional care staff as a great success,” Kim says.
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