Therapeutic kitchen improves resident’s mealtimes
Monday November 19, 2007 -- Deron Hamel
The therapeutic kitchen at Almonte Country Haven has been a valuable supportive measures tool for making mealtimes more enjoyable for residents with cognitive impairment, says life enrichment co-ordinator and supportive measures specialist Darlene Thibault.

The therapeutic kitchen, which holds up to eight residents, is separated from the main dining area at the home, providing residents who use the area a quiet place to eat. The kitchen was initially designed as a supportive measure for residents exhibiting loud behaviour could enjoy their meals and not disturb other residents.

A lady with cognitive impairment who moved into the Ottawa-area long-term care home two weeks ago is the latest resident to benefit from the therapeutic kitchen.

After coming to the home, staff noticed that this resident, who is visually and hearing-impaired, would sit at her table, crying for long periods of time.

Seeing that mealtimes were upsetting the resident, staff decided to sit her in the therapeutic kitchen during meals.

Staff members found that when residents with loud behaviours dined in the therapeutic kitchen, these loud behaviours decreased.

When seated in the main dining area, Thibault theorizes that because the resident has no vision and limited hearing, she was having difficulties eating and communicating with her tablemates.

Since the therapeutic kitchen allows for more one-to-one time, the resident is able to communicate with staff and enjoy her meals more.

“We brought her into the therapeutic kitchen as a trial for her to have her meals in there, and her behaviours have seemed to have miraculously disappeared,” says Thibault. “We provided her with the perfect supportive measures.”

The resident, who Thibault says “loves to eat,” is also finding it easier to dine in the therapeutic kitchen. When soup is on the menu, for example, staff pours it into a mug making it easier for her to eat. Since the therapeutic kitchen is much quieter than the main dining area, the resident is able to communicate easier with staff.

Often, disruptive behaviours are exhibited when residents don’t understand their surroundings. The therapeutic kitchen lacks the clutter and noise found in the main dining room. It also allows residents to have more control during meals, because their needs can be immediately attended to by staff members.

“It’s a smaller environment (and) they’re not waiting for long periods of time,” says Thibault.