Earlier this year, the Center for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) listed a handful of restrictions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 throughout our senior care and long-term care communities. Because the initial phases of the pandemic in the United States were centered around these types of operations -- and because their populations are at most risk -- new guidelines had to be created.

Essentially, communal dining became one of the most dangerous aspects of any senior care community. As a central point with the potential for spread, meal times had to be eliminated and replaced with in-room dining. In addition, the CMS began restricting visitors from entering communities, removed volunteers and non-essential employees, and also began a process to screen all employees and residents at regular intervals.

On the foodservice side, this clearly created problems. How can I deliver high-quality meals directly to a resident's room? How can I still provide choice? How can I still make meals one of the most memorable moments of the day?

Introducing the SuzyQ In-Room Delivery System from Lakeside

The SuzyQ is a mobile food delivery system that allows long-term providers to transport high-quality foods from the kitchen to the point of consumption. In normal times, this would mean delivery to the dining room, where residents could make selections right from the cart as opposed to full plates delivered from the kitchen.

The benefits of this delivery method were that diners could select what they wanted directly from the SuzyQ. This is a point of empowerment for residents and a way to save on food waste for the operation, as personalized selection leads to throwing away less food.

Today, though, the SuzyQ has taken on a different role. It's now a way to deliver food directly to a resident's room. With a built-in plate compartment and the ability to insert various pan sizes, it's essentially a rolling buffet. Hot wells ensure temperature control and quality, while operators can save time running full plates back and forth from the kitchen to the individual rooms.

The SuzyQ was designed and created by Suzanne Quiring, a registered dietitian who specializes in residential care communities. With this level of expertise, her considerations were both operational and the residents' well-being. The result is a delivery system designed to provide quality, choice, and operational efficiencies.

To learn more about SuzyQ, schedule a free consultation with an expert at One Source.