Easily Communicate Residents’ Allergen Information And Dietary Restrictions To Dining Staff In Real-Time
Today’s retirement homes often include frequent staffing and resident changes. Often, errors that do occur in a retirement home are often a result of having to keep track of these changes, due to miscommunication and without a central database or system to refer to. In this article, we look at how software can help staff with tracking & communicating dietary information (allergens & restrictions) to the dining staff to create a wonderful & safe resident experience.
Of course, taking allergens into account when offering food to residents is critical. A mistake can be dangerous if a resident is taken unwell after accidentally eating something they should not be. Many institutions have a board or some kind of manual file listing the resident’s dietary information. However, tracking information using one of these methods is NOT accurate and increases the likelihood of mistakes happening, as new residents move in or out along with new allergens being discovered that need to be documented.
In an ideal world, when the server is at a table taking an order, the system recognizes the resident & their allergens and would help the server immediately flag (in real-time) if the resident wanted to order something which contains an item they are allergic or intolerant to. The server would then be able to offer alternatives that are safe for the resident.
The Continyou Care solution presents the right information to the dining staff at the right time, when they are at the table engaging with the residents to take their orders. This lowers the probability of the server making a mistake, as they are not having to check manual systems or remember things off the top of their head. This increased confidence and trust in the Continyou Care system also allows the server more time to do what they love – provide excellent customer service by engaging more closely with the residents.
Drastically reducing the chances of error in your kitchen, especially when it comes to critical information like food intolerances or allergens, also helps lower the level of stress for staff (especially newer staff) because they don’t have the pressure to have to remember so much information about all the different residents. It also provides a sense of confidence & security to families who are entrusting their loved ones to the collective team at the retirement home. Residents feel better as well because they know that the staff know about their allergens and dietary restrictions, without having to be regularly reminding them.