Lakeland Healthcare Center administrators told the Board of Trustees on May 21 the facility must close its kitchen to install a new makeup air unit, and planned a temporary meals arrangement to cover residents and the Meals on Wheels program.

The closure is scheduled to begin June 16 and run through June 27 (administration said work might take one to two weeks). Because the HVAC work is overhead and produces construction dust, staff determined they cannot safely prepare food in the kitchen during the work.

To maintain service, Lakeland staff coordinated with the Lakeland School and the county’s Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). The plan is to prepare three meals a day for about 90 residents in the school kitchen during a period when the school is not in session. Meals on Wheels deliveries will be managed temporarily by the ADRC; the board was told the ADRC will present its plan to the HHS board.

The vendor Martin Brothers proposed a simplified “construction” menu (sandwiches, salads, soups) for the period, and deliveries to Lakeland are scheduled early in the morning on Mondays and Thursdays. Administration said they planned to minimize disruption and hoped the closure would be shorter than two weeks but cautioned the contractor estimated two weeks.

Discussion and next steps: Trustees asked about volunteer delivery support; administrators deferred detailed delivery questions to Randy Cole, ADRC manager, who is expected to report to HHS. Staff said they will update the board if the schedule changes.