7/14/2026

Three ways Ascension Living is elevating its dining experience

 

Ascension Living chef serving meals to two senior women dining together in a community setting.

The old proverb holds true for Ascension Living residents: the way to their heart is through their stomach. 

“When dining experiences are thoughtfully designed around our residents’ needs and preferences, we see greater satisfaction, stronger independence and a deeper sense of community,” said Consumer Experience Program Manager Gila Singer. “Delivering a best-in-class culinary experience can truly enhance overall well-being.” 

Survey feedback from residents and their families shows how even small food and dining changes can lead to significant improvements in a resident’s overall experience. To help keep that experience at the high level our residents deserve, a number of exciting enhancements are rolling out in the weeks ahead: 

When dining experiences are thoughtfully designed around our residents’ needs and preferences, we see greater satisfaction, stronger independence and a deeper sense of community.

Gila singer, Consumer Experience Program Manager

Web-based ordering in Chicagoland 

Ordering meals is becoming a more restaurant-style experience as electronic tableside technology replaces paper and pen. This makes it easier for residents to order what they want in real time and have it personalized to their needs. 

When residents at Ascension Living Bethlehem Woods Village and Ascension Living Casa Scalabrini Village order a dish, servers enter it into NetMenu's web-based ordering application. The app tracks each resident’s preferences, allergies and other dietary considerations, then applies them consistently to the planned menu for the day.

  • Greater resident satisfaction and safety
  • Fewer errors and misplaced orders
  • Easier for kitchen to plan and change menus based on item popularity and resident selection history
  • Can be used for room delivery meals as well
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What’s next 

Ascension Living Providence Village in Waco, Texas, will be the next community to use NetMenu beginning July 13.

Dementia-friendly menus in Washington, D.C.

Since Oct. 5, 2025, Ascension Living Carroll Manor has been featuring a daily demonstration dish and simplified, image-based menus to help Memory Support residents order food without assistance. By shifting from words to easily accessible visuals, residents can enjoy greater freedom of choice, less confusion and a better overall dining experience. 

Happily, Carroll Manor’s test achieved those results. Resident dining scores went up significantly during the eight-week pilot, along with improved resident experience. It also minimized staff cueing and helped residents maintain their food intake.

What’s next 

Ascension Living Sacred Heart Village in Avilla, Indiana, is now using visual dining enhancements. Ascension Living Bethlehem Woods Village launched on July 6. Ascension Living plans to scale this initiative to all memory support communities by the end of the quarter.

Real-time resident feedback speeds up service recovery 

Residents can now provide feedback about their dining experience in real time via interactive kiosks. If the service is slow or the chicken has too much parmesan or someone just really misses the Southern BLT, it all goes onto the community’s action plan for follow-up and service recovery. Residents can also use a QR code to submit feedback with their phones.

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About us

Ascension Living, based in St. Louis and part of Ascension, is a mission-driven senior living provider deeply connected to our Catholic faith that cares for the physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being of all individuals we serve. Our Mission calls us to provide spiritually centered, holistic care to seniors, particularly those most in need. We offer a wide range of programs tailored to meet the unique needs of older adults. Regardless of everyone’s stage in life, our goal is to provide seniors with opportunities designed to make their lives joyful, enriching and satisfying. With locations in eight states and the District of Columbia, our ministries are continually developing and adopting new best practices in care that enhance the experiences of our residents, program participants and patients. Learn more at www.ascensionliving.org.