Blue Bell Place Introduces Revolutionary “THRIVE DINING™” for Individuals with Cognitive or Physical Challenges

Blue Bell Place, a Watermark Retirement Community, recently hosted a series of complimentary public tastings of its Thrive Dining menu items. Blue Bell Place is the first senior living and personal care community in Montgomery County, and one of only five communities in the Greater Philadelphia area, to offer Thrive Dining to help restore the dignity, nutrition and enjoyment of mealtime for individuals with cognitive, neuromuscular or physical challenges, who have difficulty using a knife and fork.

Thrive Dining features Watermark Retirement Communities’ Chef recipes transformed into delicious, nutritionally balanced, “finger food” meals. Watermark Chefs start by using the innovative Grind Dining process of grinding, combining and preparing the cooked foods on that day’s traditional meal menu in a unique way that retains their taste, texture, nutrition and flavor. They then present the same meal served as one-bite and two-bite hors d’oeuvres, intended to be eaten by hand, so that every individual is empowered to thoroughly enjoy their fresh meal without assistance, and without a diet relegated to chicken nuggets, fish sticks and other processed foods.

“We attended an extensive training process to learn how to transform our diverse menu items into bite-sized dishes that pack a nutritional, flavorful punch,” said Blue Bell Place Executive Chef Cassagnol Simon. “For the past year, we have been serving Thrive Dining to residents with great success. We notice that residents are enjoying the food and finding mealtime a more pleasurable experience now that they are free from the distractions of using utensils. Reducing unintentional weight loss is a key goal of Thrive Dining, and we noticed some residents began gaining weight right away.”

Blue Bell Place’s complimentary public tastings of Thrive Dining menu options took place in May, June and July to introduce the dining concept to healthcare professionals, caregivers and family members with loved ones who are cognitively or physically challenged. Chef Simon led the tastings, preparing menu items ranging from a cheesesteak to tilapia with rice and even a chef salad – all of which could be eaten by hand.

Attendees at the tastings held by Blue Bell Place and the other four Watermark communities in the area responded favorably.

“Thrive Dining allows for residents to feel integrated with their peers and makes food easy to eat through its blended, hand-held versions of meals served,” said David Allen, an executive professional with VITAS.

Kyle Beck, a director with Visiting Angels, also touted the benefits after experiencing Thrive Dining at a tasting: "We have a lot of clients who have trouble eating and who would benefit from this concept. This gives us something to think about to help our clients at mealtime."

For more information about Thrive Dining at Blue Bell Place, visit www.watermarkcommunities.com/BlueBellPlace, or call 610-624-1198 to schedule a tour.




ABOUT BLUE BELL PLACE
Located at 777 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell Place retirement community of Blue Bell, PA, serves up to 83 residents, with levels of care including Personal Care and Memory Care. For more information, visit www.watermarkcommunities.com/BlueBellPlace or call 610-624-1198.

ABOUT WATERMARK RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES INC.
In 2016, Watermark Retirement Communities Inc. was ranked 16th in the nation by the American Seniors Housing Association. Watermark’s commitment to creating extraordinary communities where people thrive dates back 30 years. Watermark manages 50 retirement communities coast to coast. Visit www.watermarkcommunities.com for more information.