Family Restaurant

[Phaedra]

It's 2022!

We keep working on renovating my father-in-law's house and re-building his daily life. About ten days ago, I decided to stop the food delivery service and prepare meals for him. As a traditional German, he used to have only one warm meal per day: lunch.

Cooking for him is somehow a kind of fulfillment. I once watched a documentary and wanted to cook for a nursing home.

I am learning and adjusting from everyday experiences.

I also bought some games that my husband can play with him.

He is more energetic than before

I enjoy cooking and gardening - and now they are even more meaningful to me.

 

[flowerbug]

he looks happy and well cared for, that is about all anyone can ask.

 

[Zeedman]

IMO the best form of joy, is that given to another with love. The look on your father-in-law's face is priceless.

 

[baymule]

Your father-in-law is Blessed to have you in the family. Your heart is full of love and it pours out on him.

 

[Phaedra]

I always feel positive when I prepare meals for my family.

I am trying to change the diet for my FIL, majorly to break the supply of all-you-can-eat cookies, chocolate, and Fanta. He will forget how much he already had and keep eating them all day long.

Taking his dementia as an ally will be more helpful than an enemy. As he will forget things within a few minutes, it's also not too difficult to give him healthier cookies, fruits, yogurts, real juice as better replacements.

His lunch today - He finished everything, nothing left for the first time. The grape juice is the only sweet drink he has today. When he had unlimited snacks and soft drinks, he became a spoiled child and would throw his food into the trash bin or even the toilet.

Natural fruits, yogurt, honey - at least, these are much healthier ingredients for his health.

Food can be the best medicine, I believe. <3

 

[Marie2020]

I always feel positive when I prepare meals for my family.

I am trying to change the diet for my FIL, majorly to break the supply of all-you-can-eat cookies, chocolate, and Fanta. He will forget how much he already had and keep eating them all day long.

Taking his dementia as an ally will be more helpful than an enemy. As he will forget things within a few minutes, it's also not too difficult to give him healthier cookies, fruits, yogurts, real juice as better replacements.

His lunch today - He finished everything, nothing left for the first time. The grape juice is the only sweet drink he has today. When he had unlimited snacks and soft drinks, he became a spoiled child and would throw his food into the trash bin or even the toilet.

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Natural fruits, yogurt, honey - at least, these are much healthier ingredients for his health.
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Food can be the best medicine, I believe. <3

It sure is.

 

[Marie2020]

It's 2022!

We keep working on renovating my father-in-law's house and re-building his daily life. About ten days ago, I decided to stop the food delivery service and prepare meals for him. As a traditional German, he used to have only one warm meal per day: lunch.

Cooking for him is somehow a kind of fulfillment. I once watched a documentary and wanted to cook for a nursing home.

I am learning and adjusting from everyday experiences.

View attachment 46655

View attachment 46656

View attachment 46657

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I also bought some games that my husband can play with him.View attachment 46660

He is more energetic than before
View attachment 46661

I enjoy cooking and gardening - and now they are even more meaningful to me.

What a joy you must be for him, he will feel so loved.

A few months ago I went too a place where the elderly meet for games and lunch. I'm sure the staff meant well, but was really upset too see them fed the most awful dried out frozen food .

I ordered apple pie and custard too put money into their till and was sick too receive it. I was served raw pastry, they had taken the frozen apple pie and instead of putting into the oven they microwaved a portion of unbaked apple pie. The girl that served me didn't have a clue and wasn't trained. She was so sweet but it wasn't my place too tell her.

That place could do with you the poor dear souls really needs a decent meal.

 

[flowerbug]

What a joy you must be for him, he will feel so loved.

...

That place could do with you the poor dear souls really needs a decent meal.

institutional food doesn't have to be so bad. one of the reasons why i lived for as long as i did in a residence hall at college was that it was a smaller building and the cafeteria staff and cooks mostly did a great job at cooking. some summers i volunteered to help them with their dishes (on top of working and going to classes). what can i say, i do really enjoy doing dishes.

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

institutional food doesn't have to be so bad. one of the reasons why i lived for as long as i did in a residence hall at college was that it was a smaller building and the cafeteria staff and cooks mostly did a great job at cooking. some summers i volunteered to help them with their dishes (on top of working and going to classes). what can i say, i do really enjoy doing dishes.

I agree with you about restaurants/cafeterias at college and schools but disagree with the food offered at nursing homes and assisted living. I do understand that lot of the residents have trouble chewing/swallowing so they have to use foods that don't pose choking hazard. However, giving them mashed potatoes made with boxed flakes, canned chili, white bread and super processed meat is not healthy. During my rotations I worked in a nursing home and I would feel so sad seeing the plateful of food that was being offered. Most of the residents were non verbal so they couldn't even say anything.
Hospital food is even worse .
I'm sure there are places in the US that offer better selections but I've yet to see one of those. So sad

 

[meadow]

Hospital food is even worse .
I'm sure there are places in the US that offer better selections but I've yet to see one of those. So sad

My husband had an emergency admit to the local hospital some years ago. A dietician came in to advise on a salt-free diet and we couldn't even relate to what she was saying. How does that translate to cooking from scratch? We don't eat the heavily processed foods she was talking about. The food he was served was abysmal -- high fat, high processed, high salt, high sugar (and that was their 'low salt' menu).

Contrast that with the hospital for his surgery, in a predominately Asian community not far away. The food was fresh, natural and highly varied like we are accustomed to. Difference of night and day.