68 Part Two Th e Foodservice Industry
Health Care Facilities
Hospital patients must eat all their meals at
the institution. Foodservice in health care settings
is an integral part of the health services offered
to patients. The food served must provide all the
calories and nutrients that patients need to restore
and maintain health. Many of the patients require
special diets, 4-12.
The residents of assisted-living facilities and
retirement communities live in their own apart-
ments, townhomes, or single-family residences.
Most of the residents in this type of housing are
able to take care of themselves. As a service to the
residents, the facilities usually provide a commu-
nal dining room where residents can have one or
more of their daily meals.
Employers
Some employers provide foodservice as a
convenience to their employees. An example is the
employee cafeteria in an offi ce building. Usually
the time allotted for lunch is quite brief, so hav-
ing foodservice on-site is a time-saver. Federal and
state government buildings and municipal build-
ings in large cities also provide foodservice.
Foodservice must be affordable for workers,
yet be of good quality and variety. Employers
know that worker morale can be positively affected
by offering quality meals in an attractive setting.
The employer often subsidizes the foodservice to
make it more affordable for the employees.
4-11
School cafeterias are a type of noncommercial foodservice.
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