Magnifying that challenge is the reality that aging bodies respond differently to food as the digestive system and taste buds change. So The Devonshire pulls out all the stops to keep its population interested and happy with the food. An ethnic night once a week features an entree from a foreign country such as Yugoslavia, or an American culture, such as the Amish. Special occasions pepper the calendar. And with these people, most of them have had their car taken away, they've lost their spouse, sold their home.
Food is one of the few places left where they still have control.
You've got to respect that. You have to serve food they like, make it interesting and give them healthy choices. A recent Wednesday dinner menu offered entree choices of lemon Dijon chicken breast, pot roast with vegetable gravy, baked halibut with lemon, and turkey croissant melt with avocado and sprouts. Vegetable choices included scalloped potatoes, American fries, fresh mixed vegetables and spaghetti squash. While a master menu cycle sent out by Brookdale's corporate office serves as a guideline, the individual communities develop their own menus to accommodate their specific clienteles.