Retirement Facilities

[Home-Based-Mom]

Hello

I am new to this forum and this is my first post here. My mom, who was probably celiac but we'll never know, lived the last 2+ years of her life in a very nice retirement facility. Meals and housekeeping were provided, but otherwise they were on their own. Many of the residents were still driving. My mom was when she went in there although she gave it up due to poor eyesight.

Even though the place was very nice and they even had a chef, the menu IMHO was a nightmare. It was too salty, too spicy, and too greasy for anybody's good health, never mind a senior citizen. And of course there was gluten everywhere The ONLY allowance they made was a few low sugar or sugar free options for diabetics. They did not even consider taking anyone else's dietary restrictions into account.

Now it is not unrealistic to expect people of my generation to spend the last few years of our lives in some sort of retirement facility and frankly the thought scares the you know what out of me because what would I eat? All of those places have meals figured into the cost of living there and yet to my knowledge none of them take dietary restrictions into account. And even if they did, having separate everything for preparation of gluten free food is probably a pipe dream at best.

Am I the only one whose thinking ahead ~20 years or so about this?

[cruelshoes]

Hi, Home-Based-Mom. I recognize you from another forum, I think. I have throught a bit about this, and you are right, it is scary. If hospitals have a difficult time managing a GF diet, it must be even more difficult for elder care facilities to do it. Considering how much people pay to be in those places, you'd hope they would make an effort.

I wonder if the ADA gives people with dietary needs any protection? They have to put in wheelchair ramps and make sure there are enough exits, so why shouldn't people be able to expect a safe meal?
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-Colleen

Where are we going, and what am I doing in this handcart?

[aklap]

Hi HBM,

Welcome to the board.

Nope, you're not alone. I too have thought about this. I'm 46, so in the near distant future I will have to worry about this too. Our only hope is that by the time we will be needing this - the GF diet will be widely accepted as the diabetic diet is now. Honestly, with the strides we've made in the 5 years that I've been GF, I think it will happen. Considering the shear numbers of people that have issues with gluten, I think the demand will be large deciding factor.

Beyond the diet issues, there will a whole host of horrors we will have to deal with. Healthcare/assisted living,etc is going to be a nightmare as the over abundance of Baby Boomers reach "that age". I'm not these institutions are going to be prepared for it. Peg [my wife] works in health care - what she sees in new doctors [those coming out of medical school] is vastly different than the older doctors [those from a previous generation]. The work ethic and attitudes of the new generation generally leave a bit to be desired.
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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[cultureslayer]

[aklap]

Check out Tricia's latest diet.com blog entry: http://www.diet.com/dietblogs/read_blog.php?title=Gluten-Free+Meals+For+The+Elderly&blid=12797

[rpf1007]

Actually, med schools have NO business classes at all. 99% of the physicians out there graduated from medical school and residency and don't have the first clue about business. There is no education on life after medical school and residency when the real world business aspect of medicine comes into play. Most older physicians say that that would be one of the biggest criticisms of the system. Occasionally you get a lunchtime lecture in residency on financial issues etc but the education on the business of medicine is completely non-existent. "Practice management" may be continuing ed- that would be education after medical school and residency- and frankly doctors need to understand the business aspect...or else...no business...then no doctors.
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Rachel

[baldridgem]

I worked for a retirement apartment/healthcare complex. There the meals were not included in the rent. Residents could purchase meals for a month or indivical meals ( breakfast,lunch, dinner and salad bar). They had a special program called Homemaker Aids that helped residents with ADL's ( activites of daily living) The residents paid extra for this service. At that time I think it was about $15.00hr. Or they could hire someone from an agency or anyone else. Thats in the Apts. In health care an aid could bring food from the dinning room for them. Non of this GF. I don't remember anyone ever reequesting a GF meal. They provided for their diabetic residents but everyone else was on their own.

The solution is to have enough funds to pay for someone to come into your home and thats just not possible for me and most people I know.
For my mother we were lucky enough to be able to hire a live-in housekeeper. If a nursing home is the only option we're all out of luck.








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