Catering Service at the Menotti Assisted Living Facility

A good diet is important at every stage of one’s life and in particular in the senior years.

  • 08,30 BREAKFAST
    (milk, coffee, tea, cookies, rusks, bread, and croissants)
  • 12,30 LUNCH
    (first course, second course with side dish, fruit or dessert)
  • 16,15 SNACK
    (tea, fruit juice, cookies, etc.)
  • 18,30 DINNER
    (first course, second course with side dish, fruit or dessert).

Drinks and wine (one glass according to the doctor’s prescription) are included in the fee.

Personalised diets are prepared according to the clinical needs of each Guests to address any chewing and swallowing problems.

Feeding of Guests who cannot feed themselves is guaranteed.

Food service is offered also to relatives who, upon booking at the Foundation’s kitchen, can enjoy a meal with their loved one in specially arranged rooms every day of the year.

Particular attention is paid to holidays when it is possible to have lunch at the facility and enjoy special menus according to the occasion.

Every day, in the morning and in the afternoon, trained support staff distributes drinks (tea, fruit juice, etc.).

This occasion at the facility is a moment Guests enjoy and in which they participate while also being a way to care for their health.

A good diet is important at every stage of one’s life and in particular in the senior years.

In fact, the elderly even though they age very differently from one another, all go through physical, psychological, and social changes that can affect food choices both in terms of quality and quantity that may lead to obesity or malnutrition and thus with a significant impact on their health.

In fact, ageing leads to:

  • a slowdown in metabolism and energy requirements;

  • a decrease in lean body mass (muscles, bones) body water and an increase in fat mass with a tendency to obesity;

  • a decrease in the sense of smell, taste and thirst with loss of interest in food and dehydration;

  • reduced intestinal, renal, and gastric function with chronic constipation, dehydration, digestive difficulties and impaired absorption of certain nutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins;

  • loss of teeth with consequent difficulties in chewing and reduced food intake;

  • changes in appetite regulation with an altered sense of satiety;

  • chronic disabling diseases;

  • a need for numerous medications.

Because of this, it is essential for our facility to offer diets that are appropriate to the needs of our Guests taking into account the most recent guidelines on nutrition that the goal to:

  • ensure a balanced and complete diet in terms of main nutrients;

  • provide the pleasant experiences that seniors seek in food;

  • meet the nutritional needs of patients with special diets for diabetes, dysphagia, kidney failure, Parkinson’s disease, and allergies.

At our facility we deem paramount to assess and monitor the nutritional status of our Guests.

For the prevention of malnutrition:

  • the person is weighed at admission and at least once a month if there are no specific problems that require more frequent monitoring;

  • the weight is notified to the doctor who will also be informed of any difficulties the patient may have in completing meals, due to a reduction in appetite, the presence of swallowing or chewing disorders, refusal of food, or  medications that affect the appetite.

For us, meal time is much more than a simple physiological need. Food is full of added value: it becomes a tool for psychological gratification, socialisation, and connection with the Guest’s cultural origins.

DIET AND DAILY ENERGY REQUIREMENTS

The diet offered daily is prepared considering the average energy requirements for men and women and the age group of our Guests, considering a light physical activity, according to the latest LARN 2012 instructions (Energy and Nutrient Levels for the Italian Population), Guidelines (published by the National Institute of Nutrition) and Welfare Catering Guidelines (Lombardy Region 2012).

MEALS at our Assisted Living Facility and ENERGY DISTRIBUTION

The consumption of the daily nutritional requirements is split into three main meals and one snack:
With the following energy breakdown:

  • BREAKFAST 15%

  • LUNCH 35-40%

  • DINNER 30-35%

  • SNACK 10%

The preparation of a typical menu has seasonal variations (summer, autumn, winter, and spring) and has been calculated considering a daily energy requirement of approximately 1800 calories.

  • PROTEIN 70g – 73 Kcal 280 (16%)

  • FAT 48 – 50g Kcal 450 (26%)

  • CARBS 250 – 260 g Kcal 1050 (58%)

The menu calls for a variety of foods such as milk and dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, grains, vegetables and fruit and requires that different dishes are prepared every day according to the tastes and preferences of the Guests. In the choice and variety of the proposed menu, we consider it fundamental to respect our culinary tradition.

It is important to pay special attention to Guests who have difficulty eating. For people who have chewing issues (teeth issues, malfunctioning dentures, oral cavity diseases ..) or digestion, we have developed flavourful menus with low chewing requirements and easily digestible such as as medium and small size pasta, well cooked, meatballs, meatloaf, flans, baked omelettes, fish, soft cheeses, and ripe fresh fruit.

SPECIAL DIETS

NORMOCALORIC HYPOGLYCEMIC DIET

This is a diet with a reduced content of carbohydrates and foods with a medium and low glycemic index, without the addition of simple sugars. It is suitable for normal weight patients with reduced glucose tolerance/diabetes.

HYPOPROTEIN DIET WITH 60 g TOTAL PROTEIN

This diet has a reduced protein content and includes standard foods, with a smaller second course (for Parkinson’s patients, second courses are avoided at lunch).

It is recommended for guests with mild renal insufficiency and, when prescribed, for Parkinson’s patients.

HYPOPROTEIN DIET WITH 40 g TOTAL PROTEIN

This diet has a reduced protein content and includes low-protein products as well as smaller second courses and the exclusion of milk. Recommended for Guests with medium to severe renal insufficiency.

MODIFIED CONSISTENCY DIET – SMOOTHIES

This is a diet with dishes that are smooth in consistency and do not require chewing. Recommended for Guests with chewing problems or intermediate dysphagia.

MODIFIED CONSISTENCY DIET FOR DYSPHAGIA – HOMOGENIZED

It is a diet with a creamy consistency. Recommended for Guests with high degree dysphagia. Liquids must be thickened before administration.

GLUTEN-FREE DIET

This is a standard calories diet but gluten free. Suitable for our Guests with gluten intolerance.