The most important meal of the day

Doctors often say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and a team of caretakers in Sechelt has embraced that fact, providing better care for their residents.

The staff at the Totem Lodge residential care facility, next to St. Mary’s Hospital, are providing more food options and customized portion sizes for the close to 50 senior residents living at the facility. And they’re delivering these choices on a cart around the dining room.

Residents at the Totem Lodge enjoy their first ever Mother’s Day brunch.

“Our residents love having more choices and more variety,” says Marina McBride, manager of residential care on the Sunshine Coast. “It’s a more satisfying, quality breakfast to start the day.”

On wheeled Suzy Q carts, residents can now choose from hot and cold items and the old plastic plates and cups have been replaced with new, ceramic ones; Marina says the new dishware with the personalized portion sizes have significantly reduced the amount of food and plastic waste at the facility.

In addition to making the residents happier, Marina says the new model has made them healthier as well.

“They have better hydration, which has led to less UTIs (urinary tract infections) because they’re drinking more,” she explains. “And they’re also getting more rest because they’re fuller and more satisfied.”

Marina adds that with the new, more popular breakfasts, more and more residents are sticking around for the activities afterwards which include exercises, music and current event discussions.

The partnership with Sodexo, a food management company that works with VCH, has even expanded to mid-morning brunches which, after a recent Mother’s Day event, has shown to be very popular.

“Both the residents and staff enjoyed the brunch,” Marina says. “It’s making everyone happier overall here.”