As baby boomers retire and move into Senior Living communities, they are voicing strong opinions about what they want their individual dining experiences to look like. Communities are adjusting to create more “resident-centric” dining, incorporating more flexibility, personalization, and wellness. Look for these four dining trends in 2024 that cater to the newest generation of residents:
- Ingredients from Community Gardens
- Open Multi-Use Kitchens
- Restaurant-Inspired Efficiencies
- Giving Residents a Choice
Ingredients from Community Gardens
Younger residents enjoy knowing where their food came from and feeling connected to the community. Senior Living community gardens will be a popular way for residents to engage in a therapeutic activity like gardening and provide the kitchen with some fresh ingredients. While these gardens certainly won’t provide all the produce for a dining program, residents can still benefit from a farm-to-table-inspired menu and see the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor.
Open Multi-Use Kitchens
Open kitchens provide residents with more transparency and a feeling of control over their own plates. Some communities have also taken a holistic approach to dining, incorporating a second, empty kitchen space that residents can use together. This space incorporates a social element into independent cooking, as well as a space for hands-on nutritional education.
Restaurant-Inspired Efficiencies
Senior living staffing has largely rebounded from the pandemic, but communities are still looking toward the restaurant industry to find ways to create efficient solutions to provide flexible and individualized dining services. Self-service tools using residents’ devices or kiosks, and open floor plans so staff can focus on providing personalized services to residents.
Giving Residents a Choice
There is no one-size-fits-all method to provide dining services for residents’ needs. Casual concepts with more customizable meals have become popular with residents. Flexible dining hours and concepts cater to a variety of lifestyles. Residents have more varied diets than in previous generations, so communities are accommodating diets like gluten-free and vegetarian.
Work with Forward-thinking Senior Living Recruiters
The Senior Living industry continues to find itself in a balancing act between hospitality and healthcare. Communities need leadership who can creatively tackle the challenge. Horizon Hospitality’s Senior Living Recruiters are skilled in finding the top culinary, operational, and executive leaders for Senior Living companies. Contact us today to learn more.
