Kristie carries an attitude reflective of Regina Gardens' resident-centered philosophy – a big reason why the Chartwell community has deservedly been named the Hamilton Spectator Reader’s Choice 2020 Diamond Winner!

Watch the video & read on to discover how Kristie approaches her operations, how she’s planning to make this unique holiday season special – and how she uses her foodservice management software from MealSuite^® to help make it all happen.

A proud milestone for Regina Gardens

On top of winning the OLTCA Workplace of the Year and placing second for the Reader’s Choice awards in 2019, placing first this challenging year was a proud and exciting moment for Kristie and her team. “Personally, I was quite honored because it just meant that our families really trust us with their loved ones and they have confidence in us to be able to provide the care for them”, she told us.

Kristie and her team are a true definition of #ChartwellStrong!

Making the holidays (and every day) special

With the holidays around the corner, there are many senior living and long term care communities who may be wondering how they can help make the season special amidst visitor restrictions.

When we asked Kristie what her plans were, she referred back to the outlook she brings to work with her every day:

“It’s just about knowing your residents and being person-centered," she said. “Because we can’t have an open house or a big dinner with family and friends, trying to make the everyday special is really important”.

With this in mind, Kristie has a few creative ideas as to how she's going to make the season extra special for each of her residents!

Comfort foods & a personal touch. “I make sure to get together with (my residents) and I find out what their favorite comfort foods are and I provide them with that”, recalling that a couple of ladies in her community love their Pepsi and Diet Pepsi, so she is sure to always have it on hand for them to enjoy!

Special treats from family. “Because families can’t visit, we do allow some special treats to be brought into the home... so residents who have loved ones who are available, they will bring in their favorite comfort food”, she explained.

Giving desserts a festive flare. “Another thing I was working on was stepping up the desserts a bit... instead of having just a piece of cake on a plate, dressing it up and garnishing it to make it really special and festive!”

Foodservice Management Software gives her time to focus on what matters.

Taking the time to offer a personalized experience to each resident is no easy task – and Kristie is happy to have foodservice management software from MealSuite^® on her side to help eliminate unnecessary administrative tasks so she can spend more time providing a great experience for her residents.

“It saves a lot of time... I can remember back to the days when everything was in excel or word, or even hand written”, she recalled.

“Using MealSuite^® is like a breeze – it's like a breath of fresh air! You’re able to connect everything together and then if you make a change (in on place), it changes all these (other) reports. And it’s very user-friendly – I like that it’s very simple to use.”

Kristie added that even when she is not physically in her community, she can still access important information through the foodservice system should she need to check something or send anything along to her team.

We’re so happy to be here for Kristie as she continues to show up for her community in so many ways – and we want to be here for you, too. If you want to reduce administrative tasks so you can deliver smiles and the best possible foodservice experience for your residents like Kristie, contact us today for a complimentary demo.

Wishing you and your community a very happy holiday from the entire MealSuite^® team!