Ohio Valley Manor in Ripley, Ohio, is moving toward restaurant-style food service, staffing several kitchens throughout the facility in order to serve more varieties of food at the proper temperature, according to an article on the News Democrat website.

"Restaurant-style food service will meet residents’ needs and desires. Offering choices and decisions are empowering. We are constantly working to help de-institutionalize nursing facilities by giving residents a voice,” Connie Curlin, dietary manager at Ohio Valley Manor said.

“Our goal is to adopt an open dining philosophy with extended hours so our residents can make choices about what, when and where they want to eat. It’s also about offering beautiful dining spaces. Our food service will be more like dining and receiving room service at a nice hotel."

Because a single kitchen could be quite a distance from some residents, by the time the meals are loaded, wheeled down on large carts and distributed, many residents are not getting a hot meal. Adding and staffing several kitchens throughout a facility adds the ability to serve residents fresh food at the proper temperature.

Read the article.