Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2021 - 29

Caring about the performance of one's work is a responsibility
for the food server that goes further than just doing a job.
Skilled servers receive satisfaction from the results of their
work. A new sense of purpose is adopted resulting in personal
benefits from the work they do. Pride sits on the shoulders of
being happy with one's work. It is easy to help another person
on your meal serving team when you are content with your own
work. Chat while you share the efforts of a teammate in making,
packing, and delivering meals. Create casual bonds of friendship
whenever a chance arises. Extend a helping hand to a coworker
having an off day. Discuss new ideas and thoughts during and
between meetings to nurture the idea of making your working
time in the community better for all of you. Any weight of work
is lighter when shared with another.
Well-trained food servers are your company's most valuable
asset and marketing tool. Residents see and communicate with
them several times a day. Their families probably hear the food
servers' names mentioned often. Residents are more in touch
with servers than any other staff member. Contented residents
are often the result of skilled food serving teams.
It's important to remember that if other employees fill in on a
day when you are short-handed, they are food servers. Even if
they only serve food on an occasional basis, they still are food
servers and should be properly trained. Everyone who provides
food or beverages needs guidelines and to know how to serve as
good as your community's best food server. This encompasses
knowing hospitality skills, polite manners, and how to connect
in conversation with older adults. This includes those in
administration who may only fill in when food serving staff is
short-handed.
It was the food servers who stayed on the job during this past
year of the pandemic and came in to work when others couldn't
make it. Their connection with the residents they served kept a
sense of calm through small talk and reassurances. They became
heroes without realizing it, by doing what they do every work
day, and that is using hospitality in the care of those they serve.
It is ironic that food servers are often the least trained staff and
on the lowest pay schedule. All employees within senior living
communities need to be cross-trained in skills and competencies
to serve meals and treat one another with kindness and dignity.
Investing in your food serving team is the most effective way
to retain them, and keeps the cost of employee turnover down,
increases revenue, and generates a stronger market position. You
will also keep your residents' favorite food servers spreading
feelings of comfort as they fulfill their responsibilities.
When residents are happy with their dining experience, they are
happier living in your community. Caring is part of health care,
and hospitality is how you show it. Food servers extend personcentered
hospitality, and hospitality is health care. E
REFERENCES
* https://www.food-management.com/senior-dining/seniorliving-dining-program-rallies-maintain-community-spirit-timecoronavirus
*
https://thelegacyseniorcommunities.org/5-roaring-trends-forsenior-living-in-the-2020s/
*
https://seniorhousingnews.com/2020/03/26/dining-at-adistance-senior-living-culinary-teams-make-tough-decisions-dueto-covid-19/
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NUTRITION & FOODSERVICE EDGE | July-August 2021
29

https://www.food-management.com/senior-dining/seniorliving-dining-program-rallies-maintain-community-spirit-timecoronavirus https://www.food-management.com/senior-dining/seniorliving-dining-program-rallies-maintain-community-spirit-timecoronavirus https://www.food-management.com/senior-dining/seniorliving-dining-program-rallies-maintain-community-spirit-timecoronavirus https://thelegacyseniorcommunities.org/5-roaring-trends-forsenior-living-in-the-2020s/ https://thelegacyseniorcommunities.org/5-roaring-trends-forsenior-living-in-the-2020s/ https://www.seniorhousingnews.com/2020/03/26/dining-at-a-distance-senior-living-culinary-teams-make-tough-decisions-due-to-covid-19/ https://www.seniorhousingnews.com/2020/03/26/dining-at-a-distance-senior-living-culinary-teams-make-tough-decisions-due-to-covid-19/ https://www.seniorhousingnews.com/2020/03/26/dining-at-a-distance-senior-living-culinary-teams-make-tough-decisions-due-to-covid-19/ http://www.ANFPonline.org/ANFPtv

Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Magazine - July/August 2021