As memory care residents come into the dining room, we try to get them settled and focused. We offer them warm hand towels scented with herbs or extracts such as lavender and lemon, and also serve them a spoonful of lime sorbet. The alternation between hot and cold creates tactile-thermal stimulation, which helps residents become more aware and ready to enjoy the meal.
Rob Bobbitt
National Director of Dining Services
Watermark Retirement Communities
Tucson, Ariz.