Stillwater Center Pureed Food Improvement Program

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

The Stillwater Center is an Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) owned and operated by the Montgomery County Board of County Commissioners. It is a 98-bed residential facility that serves the counties most vulnerable residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities ranging from severe to profound. It can be a challenge to prepare food that meets the special dietary requirements of these residents, but is also nutritious, tasty and visually appealing. In 2014, the center’s dietary staff began to make quality improvements so that mechanically softened foods would now be molded into shapes that reflected its natural state. In 2018, the staff began additional coordination and processes to allow an expanded menu of food items that could be serve hot. The changes have been well received by residents and resulted in measurable improvements in weight and health for some.