On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 20:49:25 -0700, "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!

I believe that institutions in the U.S. - schools, prisons, and
hospitals - are required to conform to the USDA dietary guidelines. I
would imagine that nursing homes would be included in this group.

So you should be guaranteed to at least get food deemed to be healthy,
though it may not be to your particular liking.

Where I live, there are some nursing/retirement homes that are run by
and for different ethnic groups, like Eastern European, Chinese, etc,
and the food in these places would be geared more towards the
preferences of the residents.

Doris