Last updated on June 15th, 2023
Nothing contributes to a resident’s quality of life more than the food they eat in your healthcare community. Your residents most likely engage with your dining program at least three times a day, but are they enjoying it? Does it contribute to a better quality of life? Does it help attract new residents?
To avoid dissatisfaction among residents and their families, it’s essential to continually evaluate resident experiences and the value your dining program brings to your community. Whether your healthcare community’s dining program is in-house or outsourced, it can be hard to determine the return on investment (ROI). However, there are five questions that will help you understand the ROI of your food service program.
The five questions we’ll explore below are:
- Is the dining program successfully meeting the targets and initiatives outlined by our community?
- Does the dining program effectively maintain, hire, and recruit staff?
- Do menus meet resident satisfaction goals at an agreed cost?
- Does the dining program offer innovative solutions that will prepare the community for the future?
- Is the dining program engaged in the total resident experience?
5 Ways to Evaluate the ROI of your Dining Program
1. Is the dining program successfully meeting the targets and initiatives outlined by your community?
If you’ve outsourced your dining program, it was likely because you had several pain points while running the program yourself. Now’s the time to review your vendor’s dining program framework outlined in your proposal and contract. Has your current vendor helped you achieve the goals they said they would to help you overcome these pain points? A good food service provider should clearly identify and propose recommended solutions to your community’s original pain points. Your proposal should include a list of everything the vendor plans to do to overcome your issues and timelines detailing when these issues will be taken care of.
Another question to ask yourself here is if your food service provider has streamlined your operation to be more efficient and effective. Great dining programs don’t rely on Excel spreadsheets and Word documents for day-to-day operations. Ideally, your provider has implemented high-functioning technology that builds and stores menus and tracks special diets, allergens, and texture modifications while fully integrating with your current EMR system.
2. Does the dining program effectively maintain, hire, and recruit staff?
Staffing shortages have affected healthcare communities all over the country, and the senior living industry has been significantly impacted. A recent survey found that 96% of assisted living communities are facing staffing shortages. Tackling these challenges requires a food service partner with experience in hiring, recruiting, and retaining great employees.
A partner with expert staffing solutions will provide your community with:
- A recruiting team that specializes in hiring food service workers in healthcare settings
- Quick and efficient onboarding
- Comprehensive training on safe food handling, workplace safety, and customer service
- Growth and development pathways for all employees
- Several ways for staff to feel appreciated throughout the year
If your food service provider isn’t doing everything we listed above, it might be time to reevaluate your partnership.
3. Do menus meet resident satisfaction goals at an agreed cost?
Every senior living community is unique. To create a program that fits your community’s needs, a good food service provider should conduct regular resident surveys and feedback sessions. They should also consider regional preferences when selecting recipes and building menus and participate in resident council/food committee meetings to make sure your residents are being heard when it comes to the food they eat.
Many food service providers use set menus and locked order guides to meet financial goals, which can create monotony in daily menu offerings. With today’s supply chain challenges, it may also generate procurement issues. A good food service provider can reduce costs by passing volume-based purchasing savings to their clients. They’ll do more from-scratch cooking techniques and eliminate higher-cost convenience foods while looking for ways to reduce food waste. They’ll also work with local suppliers to ensure freshness and availability. As good stewards of your resources, your food service provider should manage menus and food costs to align with the agreed “per patient per day” cost outlined in your contract. Any changes in prices should be quickly communicated to administrative staff.
4. Does the dining program offer innovative solutions that will prepare the community for the future?
Today, the baby boomer generation is turning 65 at a rate of 10,000 per day. By 2030, over 70 million Americans will be considered retirement age. Senior living communities are poised for a dynamic shift in how they market themselves. The dining room will likely take center stage through design, services, and technology.
In the future, food service vendors will need to create alternative food service settings, like smaller dining areas and technology-enabled dining services. Your food service provider should be exploring how to integrate technology platforms and services into your dining program today. They should be exploring new service styles like on-demand dining and micro-markets that will appeal to the baby boomer generation. Without innovation, your dining program risks being seen as “old-fashioned.” This may be unappealing to the tech-savvy, amenity-driven, baby boomer generation (or their younger caretakers evaluating senior living communities for their loved ones). Make sure your food service partner is preparing themselves for the future to ensure your community’s success for years to come.
5. Is the dining program engaged in the total resident experience?
Communication is critical to provide the best resident experience possible. How often does your food service provider get feedback from residents? Do they complete meal rounds and engage with residents during meal service? Are they active on the resident council, or have they established a resident food committee? All of these provide ways for your dining program’s leadership to communicate with those they serve.
A successful dining program will keep menus interesting and exciting while ensuring it appeals to the preferences and tastes of the community. Residents want to feel welcomed and connected to their dining experience. Without engaging and communicating with residents, your dining program may seem “tone-deaf” to the community’s needs.
ROI and the Resident Experience
Interested in learning more about evaluating the ROI of your dining program? Download our resource guide!
Many communities do not place a high value on the key components of a good dining program we listed above. Today, a thriving dining program is resident-centered, fulfills its promises, and empowers leadership.
If you’re questioning whether or not your food service company is providing a good ROI while delivering the best resident experience, let’s chat. The team at Culinary Services Group can help your healthcare community create a customized dining program that meets resident needs and stays within budget. Contact us here.
