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Specially designed tableware helps seniors dine with dignity

Senior dining foodservice pros are always on the lookout for the details that can make the difference between a dinnertime struggle and a nourishing meal.

Tara Fitzpatrick

November 16, 2018

2 Min Read
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Photos: Libbey Intuitive Diningware

A lot of times in providing care for seniors struggling with dementia and other issues, having a sense of humor really helps. Just ask dietitian Suzanne Fleming, MS, RDN, LD, of McPherson Hospital in McPherson, Kan., to tell you the hot pink sippy cup story—worth a chuckle, but indicative of a very real problem in senior dining.

“One area where we struggle is with cups,” Fleming says. “A few weeks ago, we had a patient who could no longer use a straw; she couldn’t suck with it, and she kept spilling liquids trying to drink from a regular cup.”

Fleming’s improvised solution was to borrow a sippy cup from occupational therapy so “the patient could tilt the cup and get liquid out in a controlled manner that didn’t require sucking,” she says. “However, you talk about dignity—it was a hot pink sippy cup and she was 90-some years old!”

Hoping for less improvisation and more deliberate planning that can help everyone dine with dignity, Fleming is turning a laser focus onto everything that’s happening during mealtimes at the 49-bed, acute-care, not-for-profit hospital. She’s encouraging staff to pay closer attention to the feeding process, allowing them to identify which patients may need such things as a softer-texture diet or finger foods.

Currently, the foodservice team at McPherson is using a few different specialized dining utensils that have been working, and manufacturers are collaborating with healthcare providers to come up with new ideas. Here are a few staple tableware items that are readily available now:

Silverware with larger handles: This silverware is easier for older hands to grip onto.
Bowls and plates with more pronounced, higher sides: This allows the diner to use the leverage to scoop up bites of food more easily.
•  Concave rims: Also helps with getting food onto the fork or spoon.
Brightly colored banded edges: This helps seniors with reduced vision, mobility and motor skills, but doesn’t call attention to that—it looks like a decorative plate with a strip.
Divided plates (aka, welled trays): This works by the same principal as the higher sides mentioned above, and also keeps components separate on the plate and is great for purees and portion control.
Cups: Plastic “sippy cups” don’t always have to look like they’re made for kids. Color and style make the difference here.

About the Author

Tara Fitzpatrick

Tara Fitzpatrick is senior editor of Food Management. She covers food, culinary and menu trends.

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