2. Stimulating the senses
At Watermark Retirement Communities, memory care meals begin with residents receiving warm hand towels scented with herbs or extracts such as lavender and lemon. “As residents come into the dining room, we try to get them settled and focused,” says Rob Bobbitt, national director of dining services at Watermark. Immediately after, they are served a spoonful of lime sorbet. Bobbitt says the alternation between hot and cold creates tactile-thermal stimulation, which helps residents become more aware and ready to enjoy a meal.