Accommodation & Meals
Accommodations
Faith Manor is a five-storey structure consisting of five secure Resident Home Areas. On each floor, there are 18 private rooms with ensuite private washrooms and 14 basic rooms with ensuite shared washrooms. Overall, 56% of rooms are private and 44% are basic.
Grace Manor is three-storey structure consisting of five Resident Home Areas. Overall, 60% of resident rooms are private with an ensuite washroom and 40% are basic (2-bed rooms) with an ensuite washroom.
Each Resident Home Area has its own dining room and servery, activation space, lounge, sunroom and staff support spaces.
All resident rooms, washrooms and amenity spaces are equipped with a nurse call system. All rooms are furnished with an electric hospital bed and comfortable mattress and pillows. All rooms have connections for telephone and cable TV.
Dietary Nutrition & Hydration Program
What to expect from Dietary Services on admission at Faith and Grace Manor:
At admission, each new resident will meet with the Dietary Manager or Food Service Supervisor, who will explain about our menu and food choices, ask about food allergies, and obtain essential information about usual food intake. The nurse on the unit will show the resident to the table at the next available meal. Within two weeks, each resident is visited by the Registered Dietitian (RD) who performs a nutrition assessment and develops a nutrition care plan.
Registered Dieticians
Registered Dietitian (RD’s) have skills and expertise in many areas including: weight loss prevention, texture modified diets for dysphagia management, and nutrient needs for pressure ulcer management. The RD monitors the intake of residents, observes them at mealtimes, communicates with families, and documents in the medical chart. The RD is a member of the multi-disciplinary team, and thus works closely with nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, speech-language pathologists, and many others. The RD helps develop facility policies and procedures, and also educates staff as required, for example: reviewing with nurses the treatment for hypoglycemia.
The purpose of clinical nutrition services at Faith and Grace Manor is to provide adequate nutrition & hydration.
Canada’s Food Guide
All residents are offered three meals per day, with beverages, a choice of main entrée and dessert at lunch and supper, and snacks in between meals. We provide a six month seasonal menu based on Canada’s Food Guide to meet Ministry of Health regulations.
Nutrition care is recognized as an important factor in improving health and quality of life for residents in long-term care.
Joining Residents at Meals
We always appreciate it when family members wish to assist their loved ones at a meal. Some residents will eat better when their families are assisting them with feeding. Refer to the “Pleasurable Dining Rules” posted in the resident dining rooms for “best practices” when feeding residents. Please note that in order to assist residents other than your loved one, you would need training from our Volunteer Coordinator.
Food Intake and Aging
As people age, food intake often decreases. Food intake can be affected by:
- Taste
changes –related to medications or disease processes - Depression
- Dental
changes that effect chewing - Swallowing
problems – as a result of a stroke or other medical conditions - Stomach
upset – from medications or anxiety - Difficulty
feeding oneself, or difficulty communicating
hunger
Common Nutrition Challenges in Long-term Care
Probably the most serious nutritional problem in long-term care homes is unwanted weight loss. Weight loss is a good indicator that a resident is not eating enough. Another related problem is dehydration, which can increase the chance of urinary tract infections and confusion. Clinical nutrition interventions include the use of additional snacks and nutrition supplements, to provide extra calories, protein and/or fluids to the residents who need it.
Common Concerns of Families
“My loved one is gaining too much weight”
In some cases, an elderly person will have lost weight before coming to our long term care homes, and once settled in and enjoying the food, will start to gain. It is important in these cases to avoid bringing in additional food from home. You may consider asking the RD to restrict the bread and desserts in their diet; however, at the same time you will want your loved one to have a positive quality of life, which may include extra portions of food. The good news is: a good appetite can go a long way to ensuring physical and mental health.
“My loved one needs a special diet”
If someone has Diabetes, then a diet restricted in sugar may be advisable. Salt may be restricted for those with congestive heart failure, and potassium-containing foods may be restricted for those with chronic kidney disease. However, restrictive diets may not be agreeable to the resident, and they may therefore eat less and be at risk of losing weight. Therefore, overly restricting diets is not usually recommended. Our menus contain moderate amounts of sugar and salt, and are suitable for most of our residents.
In some cases, there may be disagreement between the diet that is prescribed, and families, about the risks and benefits of certain diet modifications (such as pureed texture diets), which may necessitate a liability form to be signed by those responsible. We respect each person’s right to make informed decisions about their care, including nutritional care.
“My loved one doesn’t want to eat hardly at all”
If someone is not eating enough, the nurse is informed, and a referral is made to the RD. We can provide favourite foods, nutrition supplements, snacks between meals, and a supportive eating environment, all in an effort to increase food intake. In some cases, the resident is unable or unwilling to eat or drink much at all and thus may be at risk of becoming dehydrated. It is important to determine the appropriate balance between good nutrition and hydration, and the resident’s quality of life. The nurse, RD, the resident and their families, must communicate with each other to determine the best method of providing optimal nutrition for loved ones.
If you have a question about the diet or nutritional care of your loved one at Faith or Grace Manor long-term care, please contact the Dietary Manager or Registered Dietitian at either Faith or Grace Manor.