Food-Service-Manual-for-Health-Care-Institutions

plate is not used. Place coffee or tea cups to the right of the knife with the cup handle forming
a straight line parallel with the edge of the table. Do not put cups on the table if the beverage
is to be served with dessert only.
Patient Meal Tray Service
Trays for persons confined to their rooms should be attractively arranged for convenience and
eye appeal. For patients who must be fed, sufficient time should be allowed so that the person
doing the feeding is not hurried. The staff members who feed patients should be familiar with
menu items so that they can answer questions and encourage reluctant eaters to eat at least some
of every food item. Persons with limited vision find that eating is more enjoyable when the foods
they are eating or being fed are described to them. Regardless of the type of service system used,
residents eagerly await meals, and it is especially important that they be served on time.
Nonpatient Meal Services
In most hospitals and in many extended-care facilities, the number of nonpatient customers
(visitors, staff, and guests) exceeds the number of patients. Therefore, meal service for these
customers becomes a significant part of food service. A variety of approaches to meal service
may be necessary to meet the wants and needs of this consumer group.
Cafeteria Service
The cafeteria may be designed as a traditional straight-line system or a modified version of a
free-flow system in which employees, staff, visitors, and guests serve some food items themselves.
The number of menu choices, the physical layout of serving equipment, the serving
speed, the number of lines, and the number of cashiers affect the rate of customer flow in the
cafeteria. When a large number of diners are to be served in a limited period, special attention
to line speed may necessitate setting up additional lines, offering fewer choices, and adding
more cashiers. Business during slow periods, typically evenings, weekends, and holidays, may
be increased with strategies such as offering special discount prices for senior citizens’ meals.
Limiting the operating hours of the employee cafeteria has become necessary due to the
downsizing of staff and the expense of operating for a smaller number of customers. However,
some food service departments have seen the profit potential in cafeteria operations that provide
varied menu choices for employees and visitors over an extended period. The cafeteria
should offer high-quality, attractively merchandised items. Employees of both the food service
department and the health care operation as a whole usually enjoy special theme days for cafeteria
service.
How can the food service department respond appropriately to the trend toward more
ambulatory and outpatient care? In reviewing cafeteria operations, it is appropriate to examine
the particular dietary needs of these patients. Specifically, the cafeteria’s accessibility to
ambulatory patients, appropriateness of menu offerings, price range of foods, and hours of
operation should be evaluated. If the cafeteria is viewed as a profit center as well as a service
center, the needs of all persons using the health care facility, including nonpatients, can be met
in a fiscally responsible manner.
Payment methods need to be designed for nonpatient meal service. Four methods are
commonly used:
• For à la carte service (basically cafeteria service), individually purchased items are paid
for with cash.
• A debit card is where a customer pays in advance for a specified dollar value card, and
each purchase is subtracted from the balance. Periodically a customer adds more funds to the
account. This is an electronic payment for meals.
• Colleges and universities usually use meal plans. The plan provides meal service that is
paid in advance for a given number of meals.
Distribution and Service
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