Meals for elders don’t have to be very different from our regular meals unless there is a very specific medical condition. The key (as with everything in life) is that it all needs to be had in moderation. At Epoch we believe that our elderly residents must live their lives to the fullest and food plays a very key role in it!
After all, what is a party without a mouth-watering menu?
At Epoch, we celebrate the smallest accomplishments and moments in the lives of our residents and staff. Celebrations include birthday parties, festivals, special occasions, welcoming new residents etc and food is a great motivator for all! Be it pakodas, gol gappas or papdi chaat with all chutneys- everything & anything can be on the menu! The ability to experience flavours diminishes with age hence the F&B team ensures that spices & flavours are calibrated as per individual pallette. You would be surprised to see how many elders at Epoch (who are mostly 80+) actually enjoy puris and decently spicy food!
The nursing and care team work very closely with the F&B team to ensure that meals are balanced out. If there is a lunch party, then the dinner needs to be light- soup, daal chawal or actually, khichdi. They ensure that elders with diet restrictions at least get to sample the menu so they don’t feel left out. Residents who are diabetic but have a sweet tooth can be served the same desserts but perhaps with healthier variations than white sugar and stevia like gur (jaggery), honey or brown sugar, in moderation, when we make the gulab jamuns or brownies in our kitchens.
Our F&B team at Epoch, takes that extra effort to make even regular food more interesting. Our Manager, Jagdish has taught all of us that a little garnishing can make the simplest of dishes look appetizing. We do not tell our elderly that they can’t eat what they want, unless it is a pressing medical issue. We give more thought to the food cooked, presentation of the meal, the changes in their menu, and hence make their meal times more interesting!
