There’s a new restaurant open in Thomas, but at least for now it has a very exclusive list of customers: the residents of Cortland Acres.
Cortland, which features short- and long-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing in addition to a variety of independent living options, recently changed from cafeteria-style trays with limited options to dining that offers a variety of options, including daily specials. It’s been more than a year in the making and made its debut on Dec. 14.
“It’s very exciting and a little scary,” said Debbie Fint, Cortland’s chef who oversees the cooks plus other dietary preparation staff. “We think residents will really enjoy the changes.”
In addition to made-to-order appetizers, entrees and desserts, Cortland’s staff will serve residents individually at their tables in the dining room rather than from trays on a tray line. The menu will feature a lot more fresh food, especially fruits and vegetables and whatever is in season.
“We have a new grill and deep fryer, and we’ve added a lot more prep room,” Fint said. “We’ll have breakfast all day, with omelet stations and a pizza bar.”
Susan Close manages the “front of the house,” another nod to a restaurant-style atmosphere.
“It’s all about the residents,” Close said, admitting to long days preparing for the change. “We know they don’t want to eat the same things all the time, and we know they’ll really like this.”
There will be four or five entrée options in addition to a daily special and “always available” items such as meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans. The menu will be rotated every few weeks, adding new items and removing less popular ones. Residents were surveyed about their favorite foods to help determine the offerings.
Beth Clevenger, Cortland’s administrator, said the benefits of the new dining style go well beyond just having better tasting food in a nice atmosphere.
“It will help our residents maintain weight and hydration in addition to cutting down on waste,” Clevenger said. “We really want to encourage people to come out and eat with their family members.”
Bill Lutz, a consultant who works with long-term care centers nationally to improve their dining options, has worked with Cortland Acres on the changeover. His background is operating fine dining restaurants, and he wants to bring those same attributes to skilled nursing centers.
“The old way was to cook everything in advance and put it in steam tables and serve it up cafeteria-style,” Lutz said. “No one has a steam table at home. We want to offer good, old-fashioned home-cooked food.”
Meals will be served like those in a restaurant, with each course coming out separately so people aren’t overwhelmed by the amount of food in front of them, Lutz added.
Clevenger and Lutz said the restaurant-style dining is an example of making care at Cortland “resident-directed,” giving them more choice and input into daily life at what might be their home for a few weeks, months or more.
“Our staff has worked so hard on this change, and we really appreciate their efforts,” Clevenger said. “It’s a big change, but it’s going to be a huge success thanks to everyone’s contributions.”
The Cortland Acres campus includes a 94-bed long-term care facility, a new short-term rehabilitation center, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs, rental apartments in Pineview and townhouses in The Pines. For more information call 304-463-4181 or visit www.cortlandacres.org.
