Canada’s aging population is especially vulnerable to the health impacts of missing meals. Some institutions are adapting to do a better job of preventing that
There’s a story that Joshna Maharaj tells about her time designing meals for elderly patients in hospitals.
But the CO2 also meant that the triangle sandwich packages had to be reinforced with extra adhesive. And that made them more difficult to peel open. Ms. Maharaj is a former restaurant chef who, about a decade ago, turned her focus to food at large institutions. What she’s learned is that, yes, many of the problems are deeply entrenched and systemic. Many retirement and long-term care homes are run by large corporations, with accountants making decisions based on cost. Other institutions, such as hospitals, rely on government funding – on the whims of elected officials serving four-year terms, and doling out scarce, short-term grants.
But older populations are especially vulnerable, given that they need higher amounts of specific nutrients, including calcium, protein and vitamin D. “They might just eat a little bit on their plate, and the staff will go, ‘Oh, they’re just eating less,’” she said. “So they don’t intervene.” “I like a lot of fruits and vegetables, and that takes a lot of preparation,” she said. “And either I couldn’t stand long enough to wash it, or have the strength to chop it,” she said.Beyond cooking, common dining implements, such as utensils and dishes, can create barriers that might be addressed by simple design tweaks.
At one meal, Anna tried, repeatedly, to get a piece of braised beef onto her fork. She pushed the meat from one edge of the plate across to the other, watching it fall over the side and onto the table. It’s a design they’re hoping might be adopted by nursing homes, but that would blend into the tableware of most private homes, too.
The dining room at Baycrest was redone just a few years ago, painted dusty blue and sage, and decorated with white tablecloths and fresh carnations at every table. It looks like a restaurant you might find at a Marriott.
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