How do we keep snack time nourishing without the use of chemically-enhanced juices and shakes? How do residents maintain or increase weight?
Real Food – it’s that simple! Handcrafted Delights, a Senior Living Enriched Snack Program, revolutionizes traditional nutrient-supplementing snacks with visually appealing and tasty treats that our chefs “handcraft” fresh with pantry stables and produce already available in the kitchen!
Recipes include cupcakes, milkshakes, cookies, smoothies, and more. Handcrafted Delights are served on a mobile snack cart. This creates a warm and comforting experience and differentiates the snack distribution from medicines and nurse checks.
And, by serving them in a visually appealing way, we’re not only encouraging consumption but creating a sense of dignity for residents that are tired of medications, supplements, and pills — all while cutting costs!
HOW HANDCRAFTED DELIGHTS IMPACT LIFE PLAN COMMUNITIES
Cura clients are able to eliminate or decrease the number of expensive supplements purchased by replacing them with fresh, handcrafted snacks utilizing small amounts of produce or pantry products already in the kitchen to bake, mix, or blend. It also provides an opportunity to use fresh ingredients that may be leftover so there is less waste, too! And, you’ll find some extra storage space on your shelves, too!
CLIENTS EXPERIENCE
- Savings of costly nutritional supplements and manufactured shakes
- Less waste of fresh produce and staple ingredients
- Increased team member engagement with the resident/patient population
- Elimination of the “White Label” process
- Nutritional snacks that are representative of our brand and culinary culture
- Increased resident/patient intake of enriching menu items
- Reduce the population requiring enriched supplements over time
- Facilitate greater interaction between dining services staff and nursing
WHAT RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT?
We’re entrusted with the health and care of families’ loved ones, and their diet and dining experience plays a very large role in their health and happiness. The current enriched shakes and juices leave a lot to be desired. They don’t taste very good, they’re full of chemicals and processed ingredients, and they often experience the same product served several times a day, seven days a week. In most locations, shakes are labeled by a member of dining services with the name and room location of those who need the supplemental snack. Then the shakes, which have likely lost their temperature, are passed to the nursing staff for distribution into their rooms. They may be left in a room for a resident who is not there or sleeping, or the resident may set it aside for later.
Many residents also struggle to open the cartons, drink independently or simply have no desire for another beverage. A great deal of the cartons are thrown out at least half-full, which leaves the residents without the nutrients and calories they need to put on or keep essential weight.
Now, we’re able to offer them something special. Something different. Something appealing. With the skills of our talented chefs, cooks, and caring kitchen staff, we can do better. We can prepare a snack that is high in calories, protein, AND flavor. We can serve it in a safe and friendly way that encourages interaction with the residents. We can make the residents feel special with a different treat each day and we can support their health, rehabilitation, and recovery by increasing their daily intake. And we can support the nursing staff for enhanced teamwork and collaboration, all for the sake of those residents.
WHAT RESIDENTS ARE SAYING
It may be something small, like a “thank you” or “yes, please” during the enriched snack distribution, but those are meaningful and important. They’ve also said:
- “This is the highlight of my day”
- “I love these milkshakes”
- “Wait, this isn’t medicine”
- “Oh, it’s refreshing”
- “This is yummy!”
TEAM MEMBER ENGAGEMENT
Let’s be honest, there’s nothing enjoyable about sticking labels onto milk cartons to prepare them for mid-day snack service. It’s mundane and anonymous. A team member sees the names they apply to the snack but has little interaction with the program after that. But the Handcrafted Delights program allows team members to have impactful interactions with the residents, staff, and clients, which leaves them with a sense of importance and pride.
Learn how Handcrafted Delights can benefit your community by contacting Cura today!
