Strategies to Make America’s LTC Residents Healthy

Amid national discussions on wellness and dietary reform in healthcare, such as the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, long-term care providers increasingly need to adapt to new recommendations. Implementing effective, healthy dietary strategies tailored for institutional care settings is crucial for driving better outcomes across long-term care communities.

Partnering with an experienced dining and nutrition provider can help long-term care leaders navigate evolving guidance, distinguish recommendations from requirements, and translate into practical solutions for their community.      

Rachel Kinney, MS-MPH, RD, senior director of business development, Healthcare Services Group (HCSG), brings extensive first-hand experience and knowledge in the healthcare industry.  At 16, she attended a vocational school training program and became a certified nursing aide in a nursing home. Kinney’s career has also included work in hospital settings, as a registered dietitian, as manager of a dining services department in a 124-bed nursing home, and later in clinical management positions.

Through her clinical and operational work, she has both witnessed and influenced the evolution of dining programs toward greater food quality, resident choice, and individualized nutrition.

Patients First

Kinney points to patient-centered care as a key part of that evolution. “There has been an increased focus on patient-centered care that has driven the evolution of our care practice at HCSG and across the industry, I'd say over the past two decades. And through that, we've really focused on prioritizing the autonomy of the patients we serve, and the individualization of their plan of care,” she said.

In practice, this means involving residents in conversations about their food preferences, care needs, and the potential risks and benefits of different dining options. A resident who has difficulty chewing, for instance, may work with the care team to explore options that address those challenges while respecting their preferences. These conversations help shape an individualized approach that supports both resident choice and well-being.    

Building Menus Around Whole Foods      

For long-term care communities, emphasizing whole, quality ingredients provides a practical foundation for healthier dining. Kinney points to ingredient sourcing and menu development as opportunities to incorporate healthier food options while reducing reliance on processed or fried foods. “The menu program at HCSG has been built starting with the right steps: sourcing whole, quality foods and core ingredients,” she said. 

That foundation must also accommodate the people being served. “Our menu team adapts those menus to local preferences, which is where you might see some different flavors and styles of cooking and other things that are widely accepted in those regions. But we always keep in mind that the menus have to be tailored to specific diets or texture modifications to meet our patients' care needs.”

Kinney’s perspective underscores how healthier menus bring together ingredient quality, resident preferences, and individual nutrition needs while upholding nutrient standards.

Turning Strategy into Better Dining Experience    

Translating wellness guidance into daily practice requires careful consideration of regulatory requirements and how residents want to experience each meal. Kinney emphasizes that while broader policy discussions can inform those decisions, patient-centered care remains the foundation.

“There are external movements like MAHA that might influence strategic decisions in the overall healthcare space. But our primary directive in long-term care remains patient-centered care. Dining programs are governed by federal, state, and local regulations that we must follow while also balancing each patient’s needs. We are charged with providing good food that people want to eat and providing a positive dining experience that promotes that,” she said.

Bringing that approach to life requires attention to more than the menu. The basics matter, too. Proper seating and positioning, accessible to plates and utensils, opportunities for conversations and readily available linens to manage spills all contribute to a comfortable, dignified meal. These everyday details can influence a resident’s ability and willingness to eat and deserve a place in the dining program planning.

“Those are all pieces that go into treating someone with dignity and creating a positive dining experience that our residents deserve and we’re striving to achieve. These approaches help us promote that overall health outcome that we know nutrition can play a role in,” Kinney said.

Putting the Resident First

Dining shapes nutritional intake, but it also offers residents comfort, connection, and opportunities to make choices about their daily lives - sometimes the only choice they get to make in the day. For Kinney, a successful dining program recognizes the importance of those experiences and the responsibility to support health.     

“We're in a perpetual state of balancing. This is the conundrum of being a dietitian. We always want to promote healthier choices, but we still have to understand human autonomy. From a provider standpoint, we're balancing satisfaction of our residents while also providing really good food,” she said.    

Navigating Change with an Experienced Partner

LTC communities do not have to navigate evolving wellness movements and nutrition guidance on their own. An experienced dining and nutrition partner can help leaders distinguish recommendations from requirements, evaluate what changes mean for their community, and translate guidance into practical steps that keep residents at the center.

“New nutrition recommendations may emerge, but at the end of the day, especially in long-term care, our duty is to the resident, honoring their preferences and ensuring we can support healthy, comfortable living,” Kinney said.

HCSG offers that support through experienced professionals whose clinical and operational knowledge helps communities make informed dining decisions. When weighing the best way to move forward on a dining and nutrition strategy, consider reaching out to HCSG for help navigating the latest recommendations on how to truly keep long-term care healthy.

For more on how HCSG “hits the mark” on dietary, watch this video with Mark Parkinson and Amber Pintar, HCSG’s national director of clinical services and nutrition management.

Questions or comments? Contact Patrick Connole at pconnole@parkplacelive.com