Senior care with a side of dessert

The table was covered in lace, the fine china was set and the silverware shined under a light fixture.

“What did you bring for lunch today?” office manager Aileen Johns asked her five co-workers as they gathered around the breakroom Tuesday afternoon for a bite to eat.

The spread of food was before them — salmon risotto, salad bread and Dutch apple pie for dessert.

And the boss was sitting down with them to eat.

Such a scene of bringing people together to share meals with each other is the mission of Nayda Poblete, owner of Home Instead Senior Care in Costa Mesa. Poblete, a registered nurse who has more than 20 years of experience in elderly care, is on a campaign to see more families host Sunday dinners with their senior loved ones.

Mealtime, she said, is a critical component in caring for senior citizens. Caregivers are faced with the challenge of seniors not eating properly. Some don’t know when food in the refrigerator is expired and others aren’t able to shop for groceries.

Home Instead, which provides in-home care services for seniors in more than 1,000 independently owned franchises, completed surveys with a sample of 1,000 households in the United States and Canada to learn more about seniors eating with families and friends.

Almost 75% of the people surveyed said that they only sit down for a family meal with seniors for special occasions, events or holidays, and nearly half of families agreed that the frequency of mealtime experiences have decreased since childhood.

“This office was hired to ensure mom and dad are eating properly,” Poblete said. “And it’s much more enjoyable for a person’s well-being when meals are shared together.”

That’s why Poblete and Home Instead Senior Care are asking the community to take the Sunday Dinner Pledge from now until July 31.

Families may go online to sundaydinnerpledge.com, agree to having Sunday dinner at least once a month with a senior and sign their name.

The online program features recipes for easy and inexpensive meals and tips on how to involve seniors in meal planning and preparation.

Families may have conflicting schedules, Poblete said, so the pledge doesn’t have to be solely reserved for Sundays. Children and grandchildren can plan for any day of the week and any meal of the day. They can even take the senior out to a restaurant.

It’s the mealtime experience that helps seniors feel better nutritionally and emotionally, she said.

Home Instead Senior Care Foundation will donate $1 to Meals on Wheels America, up to $20,000, for each person who commits to scheduling family dinners. Meals on Wheels delivers meals, visits and safety checks to seniors across the nation.

The foundation also partnered with celebrity chef Melissa d’Arabian to create simple and healthy recipes.

And to avoid awkward silences at family dinners, the pledge offers conversation starters that help make interesting discussions.

Talking about a senior’s military tour, their favorite hobbies or where they grew up evokes special memories and bridges the generation gap, Poblete said as she shuffled through the company’s deck of Caring Cards.

Families can randomly select a Caring Card at the dinner table and ask their elders questions about favorite movies, best family vacations or a favorite dessert. Once they learn the answer, someone can make or buy one of the sweet treats and bring it to the next family dinner.

“Everybody has a part and a senior gets to participate,” Poblete said. “You’re respecting their dignity.”

The tool proved helpful for Poblete one afternoon when she invited an 80-year-old client celebrating her birthday.

She took the senior to a restaurant overlooking Lake Mission Viejo and the two talked about how the woman loved to sail.

Then the conversation waned.

Poblete pulled out five of her Caring Cards and learned more about the woman’s travels, her favorite smell and favorite trips. The conversation, she said, spun off and took different turns. Everyone was included.

The pledge is free as are the resources and information on how to care for seniors over dinner. Spending time with family, Poblete said, is a valuable mealtime tradition.

“Not only do you help but you do something so good for a senior,” Poblete said. “You can’t put a price tag on that and if we can make the most of their golden years, we’re doing a good thing.”