Who Is A Care Partner?–Lillian

/ Care Partners, Nutrition /

In celebration of my 300th blog, in the month of October I will be featuring a series called “Who is A Care Partner?” Each week, I will interview a professional care partner. Different responsibilities, nationalities, and perspectives, but one thing in common–a heart for elders. This is the third in the series.

When Lillian talks about making appetizing meals for elders, her eyes sparkle, her animated face lights up and her fingers flit as she pours forth her passion. Lillian is a nutrition partner. She’s a member of the dietary department, but so much more. An integral part of the team, what drives her is to make food tasty, pleasing and fun.

Tell us about yourself. Where were you born, what did your family of origin look like, when did you move here? Tell us about your family now.
 
I was born in the Philippines, the third of eight children. In my thirties, I moved to Canada and in my first job here, I worked in a restaurant. A few years later, I became a Canadian citizen and could sponsor my parents and my younger sister to come to live here. My dad developed prostate cancer and received treatment, but he couldn’t handle the Canadian winters.

 He went back home and passed away there about a year later. My mom, however, is in her nineties and lives with me. She doesn’t like the winters either, but she loves to be with me. She’s still able to do some things, but her arthritis is quite painful. I’m able to look after her and, of course, make her favourite foods. Caring for her has taught me how better to serve the elders at work, and I see her in them when I am here. I also have a son and two wonderful grandchildren.

How long have you worked with elders?
Twenty-two years ago, I started working at Christie Gardens, a continuum for elders in Toronto, which includes independent living apartments and life lease suites and a care floor. http://christiegardens.org. I started with part time work, and worked at various times of the day. I’ve served all three meals, and worked in different areas of the building. In the neighbourhood I’m a part of now, I serve lunch and dinner, and work with the team of care partners to prepare, serve and clean up from those meals for thirty people every day.
What part of working with elders makes you feel like you’ve made a difference in their lives? Tell us a story about when you went beyond the perimeters of your job in order to make an elder happy.
I try to do that every day. Often when people get older, their appetite wanes, and nothing sounds good to them. It’s important to get to know them well, and find what kinds of foods they like, how they like it prepared and what makes it appealing to them. For example, someone may not like anything that’s being served that day. Even though we have two choices of soup and four entrees, it may be that nothing sounds good to them. I might offer to make a fresh grilled cheese sandwich, or an omelet. I try to find something that appeals to them.

Also, when we have birthdays, I decorate a piece of cake with whipped cream and garnish it with small pieces of orange and strawberry. Everyone in the dining room–residents and staff–sings for them, and it makes them feel special.

Sometimes elders are on special diets (minced or pureed foods) that are less appetizing. What do you do to help in these situations?
These are more challenging. One of our ladies has to eat pureed food, and giving her variety and tasty meals is important. Before she came to us, she was in a hospital where the pureed food was prepared ahead, and she hated it and lost significant weight. I show her the menu, and she chooses what she would like. I then puree it and she eats it immediately. It’s much nicer for her and she appreciates that it’s fresh and her choice. Another man is on a gluten-free diet. He enjoys salads, and I make them especially appealing with different colours and textures. We also supply gluten-free bread for him. We have a man who likes everything bland, which limits his choices. I try to find different options for him so he isn’t having the same food all the time. Another person isn’t able to handle utensils well but enjoys finger foods. Sometimes I roll a piece of ham and put fruit with it and some bread to make a kind of salad, and he eats it all. You need to be creative and look for ways to meet their needs.
If you were giving advice to a care partner who was finding it difficult to make meals enjoyable for their elder, what would you suggest?
I try to make sample plates, so when the care partners are serving, they have an idea of the best way to serve it. I like to have lots of options ready, so there is something for everyone. 


What kinds of things do you do to make meals special and fun? Why is that important?

Presentation is important. You can’t throw a spoonful of food flat on a plate and expect it to be interesting to a person. I look at the position of the main course, the salad or vegetable, and how the garnish looks. Sometimes I put part of the meal in a small nappie so everything isn’t at the same height. I garnish with colourful things like yellow or red peppers, peaches, strawberries or orange slices, and a sprig of mint. Elders are thankful for the extra effort and are more likely to eat well when it not only tastes good but looks nice. Many of our residents love a scoop of ice cream, but unless they specifically want it plain, I put chocolate sauce and a dollop of whipped cream on it. 

Every meal can be a celebration.

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Who Is A Care Partner–Lillian