Kendal at Ithaca Senior Living Community
Food Systems Management Rotation
Preceptor: Natalie Nicholas, MS, RDN, CDN, Director of Dining and Nutritional Services
I invite you to explore the modules on this page to gain a comprehensive understanding of my experience as a Food Service Dietetic Intern with Kendal at Ithaca Senior Living Community.
Module 1 - Introduction
I completed my food systems management rotation with Natalie Nicholas, Director of Dining and Nutritional Services at Kendal at Ithaca Senior Living Community in Ithaca, NY. The Kendal at Ithaca food service team consists of my preceptor/Director of Dining and Nutritional Services, Chef Beanie the Executive Chef, Crystal the Dining Production Coordinator, Joe the Ithaca Cafe Food Manager, Aaron the Healthcare Dining Manager, Claudette the Manager of Dining Attendants, Shawn, Amanda, Linda are all Coordinators, and other food prep/serving staff totaling around ~75 employees. The Kendal at Ithaca Food Service department services 236 independent living units under 5 different care services including assisted living, short-term rehabilitation, skilled nursing, in-home care, and hospice provider.
Kendal at Ithaca's mission statement is as follows, "Our mission is to provide a mutually supportive environment for residents and staff, and to contribute to the greater Ithaca community." The renowned “Kendal spirit” is attributable to Kendal residents, who design and direct the recreational, intellectual, social, and spiritual life of their community. Kendal’s approach is based on the philosophy that growing older can bring new opportunities for growth and development. Kendal at Ithaca offers all-inclusive wellness and healthcare choices to enhance the resident's sense of freedom and security in retirement.
Kendal at Ithaca has several diverse dining options: the Ithaca Falls Cafe, the Windows Dining Room, and four smaller dining rooms located within the Health Center. The newly renovated Ithaca Falls Cafe offers a casual atmosphere and delicious fare including local produce, Ithaca bakery goods, Ithaca coffee, and other tempting casual items. The Windows Dining Room is the main and largest dining room with a blend of traditional waited service and a convenient buffet-style option, providing flexibility and a welcoming ambiance. The four smaller Health Center Dining Rooms offer the same menu as the main dining room, ensuring convenience and familiarity.
Kendal at Ithaca residents can choose from three meal plans to suit their individual needs and preferences. Both my preceptor and the executive chef are passionate about using fresh, local ingredients whenever possible. The commitment extends to offering a variety of healthy options, ensuring there is something delicious and nutritious for everyone on the menu, including vegetarian, gluten-free, and low-sodium choices. Also, each menu item has a complete, detailed list of ingredients for informed decision-making and ensures the importance of all dietary needs.
Throughout the course of this rotation, I was able to gain experience in many different areas of food service. These areas include ethics and professional development, food safety and sanitation, purchasing, receiving, storage and inventory, production and service systems, quality management and productivity, human resources, and financial management and employee scheduling. To read more about my experiences and projects, please refer to the following module sections.
1
Food Systems Operation Audit
Below are food systems operation audits that Kendal at Ithaca Dining uses to prepare for future safety audits. I walked through the department with Natalie on September 25th and 26th for a safety audit including a plan of correction with appropriate action steps, dates, and who is responsible. Kendal at Ithaca currently uses NSF for safety inspections. See below for the NSF template report.
2
Safety Issues Policy and Procedures
I read Kendal at Ithaca's policy and procedures on safety issues and answered the "Safety Questions."
3
In-Service Topic Presentation
I presented an in-service training to the food service employees on the topic of Food Allergens and Cross-Contact on Thursday, October 3rd, 2024. I completed a Lesson Plan including measurable objectives and also included my preceptor's evaluation form for the in-service presentation.
4
Time and Temperature Study
Below are noted times and temperatures of lunch for three days (September 23-25, 2024) in Windows Dining. The temperatures are recorded at the completion of cooking to assure food safety and at the mid-point of meal. I compared the temperatures of each food item to the minimum temperature requirement to assure safe foods were being served. Only two items needed to be reheated prior to serving on Tuesday and I noted several items being cooked well above the temperature requirement, which may cause additional cooking and dryness when being served.
6
HACCP
The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a system used to promote food safety and prevent biological, chemical, and physical contamination or hazards from happening throughout food production. While creating my Theme Meal production schedule (Module 5), I included HACCP procedures for each step.
Module 4 - Purchasing, Receiving, Storage & Inventory
1
Inventory
I assisted Crystal, the Dining Production Coordinator, with inputing the monthly physical inventory into an Excel spreadsheet using the tablet to figure out the total inventory and cost currently on hand. Weekly, Crystal will make sure the ingredients needed for the next week's menu are available or are ordered.
2
Food and Supply Order
The primary supplier is Sysco out of Syracuse. The delivery schedule is as follows: Sysco delivers on Tuesday and Friday, bread (Stroehmann) on Tuesday and Friday, produce (Mento Produce) on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, Coca-Cola on Wednesday, and Byrne Ice Cream delivers on Tuesday.
1
Manual Nutrient Analysis & Menu Modification
I completed my analysis on the regular diet that was provided. I analyzed the carbohydrates, protein, fat, cholesterol, and sodium. After analyzing the regular diet, I changed certain aspects to meet the needs of the other three diets, which included low sodium, low carbohydrate, and low cholesterol. Keeping in mind to change as little as possible, maintaining similarity between residents and helping our food prep staff.
3
Theme Meal Report
I wrote a theme meal report for my Ithaca Falls Cafe Autumn Special that took place on October 16th, 2024. The report introduces the meal idea and the typical works of the newly renovated Ithaca Falls Cafe at Kendal at Ithaca, then continues to thoroughly explain the standardized recipe evaluation, budget, and production schedule. Finally, I analyze and discuss the success of the meal, including the data from the resident sensory evaluations, and propose ideas to reduce waste in the future. The revised version to the standard recipe format is below as well using Meez.
4
Theme Meal Recipe Standardization, Budget, Production Schedule, and Production Log Excel Spreadsheet
Below is an Excel spreadsheet that I prepared for my Ithaca Falls Cafe Autumn Special on October 16th, 2024. The Excel spreadsheet shows the conversion factor I calculated to create my standardized recipe, the budget components, the production schedule with HACCP procedures for each step, and lastly, the production log used to mark the times, tasks, problems, and their solutions during the cooking process.
5
Theme Meal Sensory Evaluation and Taste Panel
To evaluate the likeableness and satisfaction of my Ithaca Falls Cafe Autumn Special, I utilized QR codes and printed sensory evaluations for the residents or employees who ordered either the sandwich or the smoothie. The QR code sent the customers to a form that I created on Jotform that asked for their ratings on a 1-star to 5-star scale of the appearance, aroma, taste, texture, and overall likeness of the food product.
6
Diet Manual Review
A diet manual is a manual of meal planning guidance for different ages, conditions, and needs. Dietitians may use it as a general guide for nutritional care for their patients. Kendal at Ithaca utilizes the Academy's NCM® Diet Manual that contains research-based nutrition information written by expert Registered Dietitian Nutritionists who are specialists in adult clinical nutrition. The NCM® provides clinical recommendations and client education materials on over 130 topics, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dysphagia, food allergies, kidney disease, older adults, pressure injury, weight management, and more!
7
Cubigo Templates
Cubigo is a fully customizable integrated community platform that connects staff, residents, and family members within senior living. Kendal at Ithaca launched Cubigo at their facility in June of 2024. I helped Natalie update the Fall/Winter menu cycle using the Excel spreadsheets below, which were then imported on Cubigo so that residents could see the lunch and dinner menu offerings in the Windows and Healthcare dining rooms and the daily specials in the Ithaca Falls Cafe.
Module 7: Human Resources
Module 8: Financial Management & Employee Scheduling
Facility's Operating Budget Report
Please see below for my report on Kendal at Ithaca's operating budget, highlighting how the fiscal year's budget is prepared and determined. Below are also two Excel sheets that Natalie reviewed with me, the operating budget that depicts the previous monthly expenses and predicted spending, and the staffing FTEs and budget for each dining area.
Master Schedule
Natalie reviewed with me how she develops the schedule using another Excel sheet that automatically adds up the hours to which I simply had to divide by 40 to figure out the FTEs. The schedules are created for one week at a time. It includes the Administration, Windows Dining Room for Independent Living residents, the four Healthcare Dining Rooms for Assisted Living and Skilled Care residents, and the Ithaca Falls Cafe staffing. The schedule is posted 2-3 weeks in advance depending on the dining location, with majority of the staff members having set shift times weekly. Employees can see their schedule on the OnShift online scheduler, where they also receive open shift notifications that allow them to pick up overtime hours.