eMenuCHOICE software transforming food service in senior living communities

Mobile apps make ordering food easier than ever, and that technology is helping seniors make informed choices about their meals and senior living communities streamline their food service processes.

Meals are a tap away with eMenuCHOICE, a web-based, point-of-service software application designed to improve the accuracy and efficiency of communication among residents, servers and kitchen staff during the meal-ordering process.

“Other software solutions place an emphasis on the items being sold to the residents, but eMenuCHOICE focuses on the residents themselves and how to provide them with more choice, better service and increased food safety,” said Matt Stenerson, co-founder and CTO of eMenuCHOICE.

Resident profiles are created and maintained on the app with information that goes beyond listing names and residences. The profile lists food allergies and intolerances, special diet details and diet changes that are flagged when ordering to keep residents safe.

eMenuCHOICE also is accessible to family members, allowing them to be involved with the meal selection process no matter how far away they may live.

“Family members of these seniors can log in from anywhere, using their own devices, to help choose their loved one’s meals,” Stenerson said. “For example, if you know that your mother loves spaghetti, then you can use eMenuCHOICE to ensure that she is able to enjoy it whenever it’s being served in her community.”

Stenerson is part of a team that launched eMenuCHOICE for commercial use three years ago after building it for internal use at Lyngblomsten, a senior care community located in St. Paul, Minn. This award-winning app emphasizes choice for residents, whose feedback was the driving force behind its creation.

“Providing a range of meal choices to seniors has become an industry standard,” said Lyngblomsten President & CEO Jeff Heinecke, who also is a co-founder of eMenuCHOICE. “Customers and regulators expect it. Why not use technology to make the process more efficient and cost effective?”

The time and cost savings of eMenuCHOICE come from numerous features within the app that streamline dining services and administrative tasks. By using the app, communities can reduce waste in the kitchen, improve staff efficiency and reduce time spent managing resident and guest billing at the end of the month.

“With these improved efficiencies, staff are able to plan menus with more choice for their residents, explain food options more thoroughly, serve their residents in the dining room and quickly and accurately charge residents or guests for meals,” Stenerson said. “All of this means more choice and better service for residents and improved bottom line for communities.”