The pandemic has affected many facets of our residents’ lives at the RP Home—including their mealtime. For the past year, the residents have had to receive their meals in their room to adhere to the social-distance guidelines and other regulatory requirements. During this time, we were reminded that meals are more than just a time to provide nourishment to our bodies.

Of course, meals support the physical needs of our residents by maintaining their weight, helping to manage medical conditions, and even preventing other conditions. The residents’ physical strength and stamina are also maintained by walking to the dining room. Staff can observe the residents to ensure they are eating the right food, receiving enough nutrition, and that the food textures are appropriate for the residents.

Importantly, mealtime with others also supports the spiritual, mental, and social well-being of our residents. Sharing meals and sitting around the table together is an important part of their lives. It is a place to tell stories, laugh or cry, and remember where they have been. When they gather around the table, they maintain relationships, build new ones, and enjoy fellowship.

Throughout Scripture we see examples of the importance of coming together and sharing a meal and fellowship. In community, we recognize and give thanks for the countless blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us.

After the RP Home residents received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in January and the final dose in February, we were able to resume some of our everyday routines. Maybe the most significant routine for our residents is returning to community dining. It is wonderful to hear the conversations and laughs and to see the smiles during these meals.

We have also returned to our practice of giving thanks before meals. RP Home residents Rev. Jim Wright and Elder Lou Hutmire begin each meal with a blessing. They remind us of God’s care for us in His daily provision. These men help point to the fact that all of our lives, including meals, can bring worship to God.

“Our Father in heaven, we give thanks for the pleasure of gathering together for this occasion. We give thanks for this food prepared by loving hands. We give thanks for life, the freedom to enjoy it all, and all other blessings.

“As we partake of this food, we pray for health and strength to carry on and try to live as You would have us. This we ask in the name of Christ. Amen.”

Each meal begins with a ring of the old brass bell. The residents and staff quickly become still and quiet in anticipation of the asking of God’s blessing. I recently joined the residents for lunch and was grateful for Rev. Wright’s reflection on the beautiful day, thanksgiving for the staff and their continued service, and blessing of the food. Mr. Wright shared with me his motto, “Good Heart Attitude” (or GHA as he calls it). He further reminded us that in times of challenge, it is important to have a positive attitude and to be grateful—for God has a plan for each of us.

In addition to returning to community dining, we are thankful that we were able to renovate the McKee Place Dining Room to provide a resident-centered dining program in a home-like environment. In 2018, the personal-care dining room was relocated to the second floor to be on the same level with the personal-care apartments. However, the space had not been updated to accommodate the growing resident population and home-like environment for which we strive.

The RP Home team began the planning stage of this renovation in Jan. 2020 with the help of Kyra Tucker and Associates Interior Design. The construction began last October and was completed in late January. The project included the installation of healthcare-grade carpet, the addition of a beautiful wall covering, the purchase of high-quality dining furniture, and other homelike upgrades. The residents, who participated in the decision process, chose the artwork and even tested the chairs!

A dining program relies on much more than the space. To fully improve our dining program, we considered the menu, staff training, and serving procedures. Jason Dolby, Personal Care Administrator, led the team in the planning and implementation phases. The dining service staff and personal care staff were essential in planning these improvements.

Residents order from a menu at the beginning of each meal, rather than the prior day or that morning. Staff serves each course separately while checking on the residents to ensure they have everything they need. In addition, we have significantly improved the quality of the food by serving directly from a steam table, which was installed near the dining room. The residents are very happy with these changes and have shared feedback such as:

“We get waited on like we are in a restaurant.”

“The food is hot!”

“The dining room is beautiful.”

We are reminded of Scripture passages like Acts 2:42, 46: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers…And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food.”

We thank God for the opportunity for the residents to come together again. We pray that the dining program changes will continue to support our residents.

You are invited to join your loved one for lunch or dinner once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. We look forward to the next phase in building the spiritual, social, and emotional program for our residents.