TESTIMONIALS
..The most noticeable difference has been less weight loss, people are excited about mealtime again! It has been amazing to see dignity restored to residents and their families while dining. We have seen a significant difference as it relates to increased appetite and participation during the dining process.
As a result we’ve seen overall health improve.”
~ Andrea Furch, Memory Care Director, WRC
Excerpt from "A New Way To Dine", Dana Point Times
By Lillian Boyd
Sarah Gorham and Stone Morris have broken new ground! Their Grind Dining program has brought dignity to many of our residents in memory care, while helping them rediscover the joys of a satisfying meal. As a team they have worked effectively with our corporate office and community staff to build the foundation for a new approach to dining which supports residents with changing cognitive and physical needs. Our residents and their families have benefited enormously from Sarah and Stone’s visionary Grind Dining program.”
~ Mary Campbell Jenkins, Executive Vice President at The Arbor Company, Atlanta, GA
"2014 Best of the Best Awards - Senior Living Executive
“Before we were introduced to Sarah Gorham and Stone Morris, many of our residents with dementia struggled with their meals. Dining was a frustrating and embarrassing experience as food ran down their clothes or rolled off the plate. Grind Dining allowed us to bring the joy back to eating and dignity back to the person. A resident’s senses were reignited with the elevation of the presentation, smell, and taste of the food. Residents who once needed assistance are now able to independently enjoy the same meal as others. Due to Sarah and Stone’s development of Grind Dining, our community has raised the bar for the quality of dining experience for our residents.”
~ Leslie J. Finkley, M.Ed, Asst Executive Director and Linda Lee Weigel, RN, M.Ed., Executive Director at Arbor Terrace Crabapple, Alpharetta, GA
“Sarah Gorham and Stone Morris possess a broad range of experience and skills in food service/dining management and innovation. Collectively, they developed, implemented, and trained our staff in a unique and innovative dining program for The Arbor Company’s memory care residents. The results they achieved were excellent and aligned with the initial goals we defined for the project. They were extremely organized, professional, and creative with a focus on quality and providing solutions that are effective, easily implemented over a wide range of locations, and sustainable. Grind Dining helped The Arbor Company achieve its strategic plan goal in dining. I would highly recommend their services to any organization who wishes to develop and implement innovative solutions for a population with unique, complex dining needs.”
~ Judd Harper, President
The Arbor Company, Atlanta, GA
“Grind Dining is a much needed and well-developed resource for individuals, families, and communities coping with changes in ability to take in nourishment and still experience some measure self-determination, enjoyment, and reduced risk of chewing or swallowing problems.
Sarah Gorham and Stone Morris has used their culinary expertise, scientific curiosity, and professional dedication to create a new way of helping people with challenges in chewing and safe intake to engage with food that is attractive, appetizing, and nourishing.
Sarah and Stone have combined their observations of “real life” issues in eating, knowledge about properties of food and ingredients, teaching and training talents, experience in meal preparation and food service management, and the VALUE of a positive sensory experience in taking in nourishment. THEN they developed menu items, presentation ideas, and serving recommendations AND tested them out in real care situations. The result was that Sarah and Stone made modifications and adjustments to build on successes and improve what was not optimal. With this work Grind Dining delivered the goods! Residents ate more, their nutritional intake improved, they required less hands-on assistance, they expressed more enjoyment of their meal, and caregivers could tell the difference.
Grind Dining is an amazing resource. Sarah and Stone provide all the support that is needed to change mealtimes and food from survival and frustration to pleasure and moments of joy.
The program, services, and product developed by Grind Dining provide a fantastic way for people with living as Emeralds, Ambers, and Rubies to be nourished in both body and spirit!”
~Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, Dementia Care and Training Specialist at Positive Approach, LLC
“As an advance practice nurse in geriatrics, I am over whelmed with gratitude and admiration for this concept, this company and these talented chefs.
We are a culture where food is so much more than nourishment; food is culture, celebration, solace, and family. This is a huge positive step in bringing comfort and security to this patient population and their families and loved ones.
Meeting nutritional goals is a huge challenge for this patient population and when you see the pureed tasteless blobs that are the traditional fare in SNF’s, Rehabs and LTC it’s no wonder. Finally someone with compassion and vision in the food service industry shows creativity for the least vocal and demanding, the patients with memory and cognitive deficits! This is an idea that is long overdue!
This will address the problem of staffing issues with meal and nutrition assist. With this food presentation no patient will ever have to eat cold puree because there is not enough staff to feed them. Their independence and dignity are not just preserved but enhanced. This will raise satisfaction with caregivers and facilities by families, reducing complaints and compliance issues.
I hope we see this concept in practice in every single facility that cares for patients whose ability to eat, grasp or chew lives in my life time.
Thank you ladies!”
~ Nancy Page Forbes MSN, RN, CCM , Clinical Trainer at United Health Group
