Have you tried to find NYS regulations regarding senior facility menu postings? This information is buried in title 18 of the New York State Department of Health website. Unfortunately, Google’s web crawlers don’t go deep enough in the DOH site to get you the information you are looking for. Let us save you some time! Here are the links below:
Title 18: Part 487 (Standards for Adult Homes): Section 487.8 – Food Service
(8) Menus shall be:
(i) planned a minimum of three weeks in advance; and
(ii) recorded on an approved menu planning form.
(9) Menus shall be conspicuously posted in a public area accessible to residents and visitors, and shall include any daily changes or substitutions.
(10) Copies of current menus must be available in the food preparation area.
(11) Dated copies of menus, as planned and as served, including any changes or substitutions, shall be kept on file for a period of six months.
For more information regarding NYS food service regulations in section 487.8, please visit https://regs.health.ny.gov/content/section-4878-food-service
Title 18: Part 488 (Adult Care Facilities Standards for Enriched Housing): Section 488.8 – Food Service
(3) Menus for congregate meals must be:
(i) planned a minimum of three weeks in advance;
(ii) available in the food preparation area;
(iii) established in consultation with residents;
(iv) established in consultation with a dietary consultant; and
(v) recorded on an approved menu planning form which must be dated and amended to record any changes or substitutions served.
(4) Information on each resident’s prescribed dietary regimen and food allergies must be available in the food service area and must be used in the planning, preparation and service of resident meals.
For more information regarding NYS food service regulations in section 488.8, please visit https://regs.health.ny.gov/content/section-4888-food-service
Assisted living regulations vary state to state. To find out what your requirements are outside of New York State, please visit your state’s Department of Health website or contact the office directly using the link below.
https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/findservices?show=1&topic=820
Is your facility in line with these regulations? If not, transitioning from paper menu boards and posters to digital will lead to the achievement of each of these regulations in that digital menu boards:
- Can be managed remotely
- Can be scheduled days, weeks, or months in advance
- Can be changed as often as necessary
- Can be zoned to display multiple sources of information
- Can be placed in any convenient location
- Can store past content for review
Empire Digital Signs is your go-to digital menu board expert. We can tailor these systems to fit the needs of your specific facility and the regulations you must abide by according to the NYS Department of Health.
References:
Title: Section 488.8 – Food service. | New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
https://regs.health.ny.gov/content/section-4888-food-service
Title: Section 487.8 – Food service | New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
https://regs.health.ny.gov/content/section-4878-food-service
