Inland Christian Home has a history of setting itself to high standards, especially when it comes to the food. Quality meals and dining services have been part of the ICH culture from day one, and we aim to deliver on this commitment to excellence at every level of care we offer. In order to continue this tradition, we made the decision in 2022 to take the dining services department in a new direction with a contracted dining service.
Unidine, a food and dining service company with more than twenty years of experience working with communities like Inland Christian Home, officially took over the food services department on August 1st of 2022. Under the leadership of Joanna Ochoa, who has been with Unidine for five years, the team has been hard at work to transform the department by incorporating fresher ingredients into the menus. In addition, as many items as possible are made from scratch, thus steering away from frozen, ultra-processed foods. So far, the response has been overwhelming.
Ochoa and her team, which consists of both pre-existing ICH employees and new hires, have initiated numerous practices that make dining in the Assisted Living Dining Room a pleasant experience. Residents are encouraged to socialize, giving them an opportunity to make new friends, and are encouraged to be as independent as possible, such as ordering from the Always Available menu, which consists of items like classic Caesar and cobb salads, and ever-popular items like cheeseburgers and quesadillas.
Ochoa’s approach to working with the ICH community is one of respect and consistency. Quality food and quality service provided by well-trained staff are quickly becoming hallmarks of the department and the results are evident. More residents than ever before from both Assisted Living and Independent Living are attending lunch in the dining room and in-room orders have increased dramatically. With delicious food and great service, more and more residents are expected to take advantage of the beautiful dining room.
Ochoa and her team are also helping to start new ICH traditions and bring back old ones that have fallen by the wayside in recent years. Spring marked the return of what will be regular brunches with an event that brought out fifty-four residents and family members. These brunches, which are expected to happen quarterly, are open to anyone who wants to attend so be sure to check at the front desk for upcoming dates.
