Many times in recent years, photos denouncing the quality of the food served to our seniors in CHSLDs have gone around the web.
Since then, the health network has been striving to improve things. But does he manage to reconcile the pleasure of eating with the logistics necessary to feed hundreds of residents at a time?
In the kitchen of the Rivière-des-Prairies mental health hospital, some thirty employees prepare nearly 2,000 meals daily.
“We have 1,500 different recipes a year. We feed 800 to 900 residents a day,” says Josée Mayer, food coordinator at the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.
Last June, the CIUSSS brought together food employees from four health establishments, including three CHSLDs in northern Montreal. Another establishment will soon be added.
“We, centralization, it helps us a lot in terms of the scarcity of personnel,” explains Ms. Mayer.
Two to three days in advance
From Monday to Friday, four cooks produce the different menus that will be offered to residents two to three days in advance.
“I will never serve something that I would not eat”, testifies an employee who prepares a seafood sauce.
The challenge is to take a recipe designed for a few people and transform it for hundreds of residents.
“Each time you multiply the number of servings, it can alter, you always have to readjust the level of spices and those things,” says Josée Mayer.
It happens that the presentation of certain dishes does not conform to the established standards. The management makes no secret of it and even provided us with photos that bear witness to it.
ten steps
Employees must now ensure verification at each of the ten stages of production and the menus must be tasted before ending up in a CHSLD.
In the kitchen, we are categorical: refrigerating meals and reheating them does not alter the taste.
“It’s identical to the day we tasted it,” assures Andréanne Lacasse, head of production.
It should be noted that 60% of residents have a dysphagia problem. They have difficulty swallowing or a swallowing disorder. Each dish must also be prepared mashed.
The meals, heated on one side and cold on the other, are then shipped by truck to the three CHSLDs.
In the seven other accommodation centers of the CIUSSS as in the Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci centre, the same menus are prepared on site, then transported to the floors.
Robert Tremblay, a resident, stops his choice on the “smoked meat”.
“Just because we’re in a CHSLD doesn’t mean we can’t eat the way we want,” he said. He rates his meal eight out of ten.
Each CISSS and CIUSSS has its own way of doing things. This is why the government wants to apply high standards everywhere and will devote 100 million dollars over 5 years to achieve this.
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com