Cooking Classes Improve Employee Skills and Client Service

Something you won’t hear from a Partners In Care in home caregiver: “Mr. P, your mac-and-cheese is ready.”

This thanks to the new series of cooking classes now offered monthly to all Partners In Care CNAs and Caregivers. The classes are held at both the Partners In Care office and at a facility with a commercial kitchen for “hands on” cooking classes. Partners In Care and Carolina Nutrition Consultants are collaborating to provide delicious and nutritious meals to home care clients.

In the classes, our Charlotte in home caregivers choose which food they think their client would most enjoy. As a result, some of the dishes made at the last class included Whole Wheat Bran Muffins with Figs & Pecans, Asparagus Salad & Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette, Fresh Fruit and Yogurt Parfait, Turkey Summer Soup, Vegetable Quiche, Chicken Kiev, and Vanilla Cherry Custard Cake. Due to the stringent dietary requirements of some of our clients (such as low sodium diets) – as well as the positive correlation between healthy aging and eating – nutrition is strongly emphasized in all phases of cooking, from selection to serving.

The program consists of both classroom work, programs and actual cooking classes. Participants review the refreshers on reading nutrition labels and understanding healthy eating. Always overviewed is the new food pyramid, which incorporates fewer carbohydrates and more vegetables/fruits with daily exercising (both physical and mental). Examples of other segments would include such suggestions as would include such suggestions as purchasing fresh green vegetables as opposed to prepackaged frozen vegetables (which contain many preservatives), using olive oil instead of Crisco or butter, and even something as simple as serving smaller portion sizes for weight control.

In the “hands on” sections, the class is set up in stations. After thoroughly washing their hands (which should be done for the length of the ‘Happy Birthday’ song), caregivers take their recipes, utensils, and ingredients to their station. Herbs and vegetables are pre-chopped so that class time is spent on improving cooking skills. Everyone cooks at the same time, and once the food is prepared, they move to presenting the food. Finally, everyone tastes and rates each other’s recipes, deciding how to modify, improve and personalize recipes for their clients.

Many Partners In Care clients need our in home caregivers to prepare food for future meals. If a client is serviced every other day, for example, our caregivers are glad to cook extra food for leftovers. In these cases, the caregivers make sure to package leftovers in individual containers for quick eating and snacks.

PIC Staff Development Coordinator Annette Haskell says, “Everyone is excited and wants to come back at the end of the cooking session. We learn a lot and it’s fun. Plus, when you leave, you’re always full!”

If you would like our wonderful staff to showcase their extensive culinary knowledge for your loved one, simply contact Partners In Care at 704-554-9904 or email us at info@partnersincare-nc.com.

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More nutrition information from www.mayoclinic.com:

According to some estimates, as many as 85 percent of adults in long term care facilities and more than half of all seniors cared for at home suffer from under-nutrition or malnutrition—low or dangerously low levels of protein and other nutrients. But a growing number of active, independent older adults also are malnourished, especially women who live alone, minorities and low-income seniors.

Tracking the causes of malnutrition
At first glance, the causes of malnutrition seem straightforward: too little food, a diet lacking in nutrients or absorption problems. But causes of malnutrition are much more complex. For instance, older single adults often don’t cook for themselves. Shopping and preparing food become more difficult, which reinforces the tendency to subsist on easy but empty fare. Malnutrition can weaken the immune system.

What to look for
The signs of malnutrition are often hidden, especially in people who don’t seem at risk. To help uncover problems before they become more serious: Quiz older people about what they eat. Try to spend time with them during normal meals at home; Look for physical problems such as poor wound healing, easy bruising and dental difficulties; Know what drugs older family members take and how they affect appetite and digestion.

What you can do
Malnutrition is a complex problem, but even small changes make a big difference in an older person’s health and well-being:

* Plan between-meal snacks. This can be particularly helpful for people who get full quickly. A piece of fruit or cheese, even a spoonful of peanut butter, can add nutrients and calories.

* Use nutritional supplements. Undernourished seniors are especially likely to be deficient in protein, vitamins B-6 and B-12, folate, niacin, vitamin D, calcium and zinc. Just remember that supplements are important but they can’t provide protein or needed calories and shouldn’t become a substitute for meals.