merryb wrote:
> On Monday, July 29, 2013 8:49:25 PM UTC-7, Julie Bove wrote:
>> As I was fixing the tacos for our dinner tonight, I got to thinking
>> about
>>
>> this. I might go into an old folk's home. And if I do? Will the
>> type of
>>
>> food fixed for them change? I ask this because... I asked my dad
>> if they
>>
>> ever got Mexican food where he was at and he said that he did not.
>> I have
>>
>> seen some of what they get and I can say that I would not want to
>> eat it!
>>
>>
>>
>> The mashed potatoes are instant. Okay, I guess I could deal with
>> that
>>
>> but... One night they served them with chicken in bottled BBQ
>> sauce. And
>>
>> what did they put over the mashed potatoes? Not gravy! You guessed
>> it!
>>
>> Additional BBQ sauce! I just can't imagine having to try to eat
>> that!
>>
>>
>>
>> I don't know who is in charge of ordering the food. But I do think
>> part of
>>
>> the problem at least at his facility is that they have people
>> working there
>>
>> who do not know how to cook. One woman who is no longer there had
>> to look
>>
>> up a recipe for cupcakes on her smart phone and then was astounded
>> that they
>>
>> came out right. When we got there the other day, something smelled
>> good.
>>
>> One of the new employees was trying to make Snickerdoodles. But
>> they did
>>
>> not work. Not sure what didn't work about them. But my dad was sad
>> because
>>
>> they've always been his favorite cookie and there wasn't going to be
>> any.
>>
>>
>>
>> Most of the time the food they get isn't even what I would call
>> cooked.
>>
>> Rice A Roni, frozen chicken nuggets, soup from a can, bologna
>> sandwiches,
>>
>> egg salad sandwiches, and often strange combinations. I think
>> another part
>>
>> of it is that they hire a lot of foreigners who perhaps don't know
>> what
>>
>> kinds of foods we would normally eat here. The other night, I
>> questioned
>>
>> the strange, purplish brown lump on my dad's plate. It was
>> accompanied by
>>
>> the instant mashed potatoes and a little dab of the Costco mixed
>> frozen
>>
>> vegetables that they seem to have night after night after endless
>> night. I
>>
>> was told that it was beef. And as we left, I muttered to my mom,
>> "Beef from
>>
>> what kind of animal?"
>>
>>
>>
>> When my friend's mom was in a nursing home, she hated the food so
>> badly that
>>
>> she begged my friend to bring her a loaf of bread an a jar of peanut
>> butter
>>
>> every week or so.
>>
>>
>>
>> So this just got me to thinking. I supposed part of what they are
>> fed is
>>
>> based on medical or other needs. For instance, a person with
>> dentures or
>>
>> dental problems might need soft foods. I understand the chicken
>> nuggets
>>
>> because I have read that often it is hard for seniors to use forks
>> and
>>
>> spoons and that finger food is easier for them. And most of the
>> people
>>
>> where my dad is are pretty deep into dementia so probably wouldn't
>> even know
>>
>> or remember if they were being served the same food day after day.
>> Like the
>>
>> frozen vegetables.
>>
>>
>>
>> But another thing! I'd be willing to bet that a lot of the people
>> who are
>>
>> in such places now were accustomed to eating different things when
>> they were
>>
>> growing up than we do now. Unless they were born in another
>> country, they
>>
>> probably didn't have Thai or Mexican or Chinese, except perhaps for
>> whatever
>>
>> faux version of a recipe was in their mom's cookbook at the time. I
>> have
>>
>> some of my parent's old cookbooks and there are recipes for Chinese
>> things
>>
>> or Italian things that bear no resemblance to the real thing.
>>
>>
>>
>> So... When I go into such a place (assuming that I will), I sure
>> hope that
>>
>> I don't have to eat those meals like my dad is eating now! Mostly
>> they seem
>>
>> to give them very tiny portions of things that look either pretty
>> flavorless
>>
>> or the wrong flavor. Like BBQ sauce on instant mashed potatoes. I
>> also
>>
>> love my raw veggies and they don't seem to get a lot of that. They
>> do serve
>>
>> salad from time to time but it seems like mostly just some iceberg
>> lettuce.
>>
>> I never see anything exciting like olives or some onion on there to
>> liven it
>>
>> up.
>>
>>
>>
>> Do you think by the time I get into one of those places (age 54 now)
>> there
>>
>> will be a demand for better food? Tastier food? More variety?
>> Right now,
>>
>> my dad thinks he doesn't like Mexican food, perhaps because he
>> doesn't
>>
>> remember it. But when I was growing up, we had Mexican food at
>> least once a
>>
>> week. Often more. We did bring him Chinese food and he wolfed it
>> right
>>
>> down like he was starved. And he loved it! My brother also brings
>> him
>>
>> Italian although it is from Olive Garden. He does like Olive Garden
>> though.
>>
>>
>>
>> Yeah, I'm rambling. But also thinking ahead to my future. And I
>> hope it
>>
>> doesn't include BBQ sauce!
>
> Maybe you will have a stroke or a heart attack. Maybe you'll hit your
> head when you trip over your broom and mop, or a pan will just jump
> out at you and slit your jugular. Regardless, I think you should
> focus on the real live world.

Hmmm... I don't think that I asked what you thought I should focus on.

*Looks around*

No. No I didn't. At any rate, my dad and his food *is* the real world. I
have to see and smell what he eats!