Commissioners hear vendor progress at county nursing home; residents involved in menu and dining changes

Commissioners were briefed on a vendor action plan for the county nursing home and heard that the facility has added supervisory staff, visiting chefs and revised menus after two dining-committee meetings with residents.

A vendor representative said the company conducted a two-day hiring fair and recruited five employees, assigned visiting chefs from Baltimore and Pennsylvania on a 10-on, 4-off schedule, and revised menus after resident feedback; two dining-committee sessions drew 15 and 13 residents respectively. The vendor also described daily dietary huddles, staff training, and plans for improved pureed-texture meals.

County staff and the vendor acknowledged continuing issues with order-ticketing tablets and with consistency across shifts; they said a provider will perform an initial deep kitchen cleaning and that Cura's staff will handle routine weekly cleaning thereafter. "They do have their attention," one commissioner said of vendor management efforts, and commissioners requested progress updates at the next meeting.

Public comment later in the meeting echoed appreciation for county attention to the nursing home: public commenter Mr. Boyd thanked the commissioners and staff "on behalf of the citizens of Laconia and Belknap County" for recent efforts and urged continued focus on residents who have limited alternatives.

Commissioners and staff said they want to see sustainable changes and staffing plans that persist beyond short-term executive involvement; they asked the vendor and county staff to return with a status report at the next commissioners’ meeting.