Emergency Preparedness Guide

NUTRITION RESOURCE CENTRE

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS GUIDE 2022 EDITION

Prepared by Gordon Food Service Nutrition Resource Centre Included: Operational Considerations Emergency Menu Planning Emergency Supply Recommendations & Best Practice Disaster Plan Communication Strategies Operational Tools, Resources, and Articles

nutritionrc@gfs.com www.gfs.ca

IS YOUR FACILITY

READY FOR AN EMERGENCY? Blizzards, wildfires, tornadoes, floods, ice storms. There are no stopping disasters. Even so, you can reduce their impact on your healthcare community with emergency planning and preparedness.

With weather and climate disasters occurring every year, emergency preparedness is a must—even if you’re not at risk of a major natural calamity. Things as common as power outages, water main breaks, or civil unrest can trigger an emergency situation.

In the pages that follow, you will find recommendations from our Registered Dietitians and dedicated support team of industry experts to help you prepare your community for an emergency.

By making a plan, you are providing the best outcome possible for the people in your care. A plan is the first step to keeping people safe, adequately fed, and hydrated during a disaster. If you have additional questions we'd be happy to provide further recommendations based on your needs.

Warm regards, Gordon Food Service® Nutrition Resource Centre nutritionrc@gfs.com

nutritionrc@gfs.com www.gfs.ca

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS Consider the following as you begin to assess emergency preparedness within your own facility. REMINDER: during a disaster, you cannot assume that your computer or wi-fi will operate.

Does your facility emergency/disaster plan include an Emergency Menu?

If so, do you have a paper copy of your menu (and plan)?

Have the staff been trained on the emergency plan/menu & do they know where to find it?

Do you have a paper copy of all GFS Order Guides?

Do you have a paper copy of all nutrition at-risk patients/residents and their care plans (confidential)?

Do you have three days worth of emergency stock (food & drink)?

Do you have containers to serve the food and beverages?

Do you have an adequate supply of texture-modified foods & supplements?

Do you have an adequate supply of tube feeding formulas & all associated supplies/equipment?

Do you have a plan in place to source potable water?

If so, how will you transport it throughout your facility? Consider container size and ease of transportation.

Do you know which outlets are connected to the generator, how long the generator will operate and what to do if the generator fails?

Is there an alternate source of power to heat food and make coffee and tea?

Do you have equipment and tools that do not rely on power? (i.e can opener, or hand grinder) How will you ensure that proper sanitation practices and safe working conditions are maintained?

Do you have hand sanitizer, paper towels, and napkins?

Questions? Reach out to our experts at nutritionrc@gfs.com www.gfs.ca

CONSIDERATIONS / TIPS & TRICKS

EMERGENCY MENU PLANNING Considerations for Emergency Menu Planning What order should food be used?

FIRST: Perishable items SECOND: Frozen foods (unless compromised by temperature changes) LAST: Non-perishable items and emergency supplies Providing variety can be a challenge. Make substitutions on the menus as needed to use perishable stock on hand and avoid spoilage.

Streamline to minimize the number of items that require preparation.

Utilize nutritional supplements when needed.

Liberalize diets as appropriate or necessary.

In some situations, nutrition and diet standards associated with Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI's) and/or Canada’s Food Guide may not be met.

Texture Modified Foods (Puree) The need for texture-modified foods and fluids doesn’t disappear during emergencies! Consider delegating the preparation of texture-modified foods to your most skilled staff to better ensure resident/patient safety. Subsequently, those who may have minimal kitchen experience are able to contribute by completing less complex tasks such as making sandwiches or portioning food.

No Power/No Utilities: For safety purposes, consider providing a puree texture to those requiring texture-modified foods, including minced or minced meat.

Utilize all shelf-stable products that meet puree texture standards (pudding portions, applesauce, puree fruit blends, baby food, puree canned pumpkin/sweet potato/date filling).

In lieu of puree proteins, mix protein powder into pureed foods to increase overall protein content.

Consider vegetable cocktail juice (as is or thickened to serve on a plate) as a puree vegetable option.

Utilize puree bread mix - an incredibly versatile product that can be used for both sweet and savoury applications.

Instant mashed potatoes: easy to make and can also be used to thicken foods!

Staff Shortages (assuming use of utilities) Utilize frozen, ready-made, heat & serve texture-modified products.

To better prepare, take advantage of the days you are fully staffed. Portion, freeze & label any leftover texture modified foods to use when staff are limited.

Questions? Reach out to our experts at nutritionrc@gfs.com www.gfs.ca

GORDON FOOD SERVICE RESOURCES

EMERGENCY MENU & SHOPPING LIST The Emergency Menu is designed for use in the event of limited food services staff and/or limited power supply.

Click image to view, download & PRINT PDF.

NOTE: This menu is intended as a guide, and will require adjustments/changes during times of disaster. Each facility should make substitutions as needed to maximize food intake and to use perishable stock on hand before spoilage.

Our GFS 'Shopping List' provides all ingredients and products included in the above emergency menu.

We recommend that you PRINT a shopping list.

Understanding that availability and lead times vary by location, this list remains an excellent reference tool, in case of an emergency.

These shopping lists are pulled from our industry-leading menu software, Cycle Menu Management.

For more information on Emergency Menu Shopping Lists, please reach out to your GFS Healthcare Sales Specialist!

Questions? Reach out to our experts at nutritionrc@gfs.com www.gfs.ca

CHECKLIST

SUGGESTED THREE-DAY EMERGENCY SUPPLIES A good starting point is a minimum three-day plan for meals that will meet most nutrition & hydration needs of all residents/patients (and staff members) in your care.

Menu/Food Supplies Safe water (for drinking & cooking) Assorted beverages Bread, crackers Condiments/spreads (peanut butter/jelly) Packaged cookies Cereal Bars Dry Cereal Canned fruit/pudding portions Canned proteins (tuna/salmon/chicken) Canned pork and beans Canned pickled beets or vegetable/bean salad Puréed meat Puréed vegetables & fruits Disposable Supplies (all meals) Cups, plastic flatware, plates, bowls, napkins, garbage can liners, Special Products (all meals) Tube-feeding supplies (*three to seven days) Supplements (including lactose-free/renal) Food thickener Allergen /special diet products (ex. Gluten Free)

3 to 4 L/person/day nine meals four meals & four snacks three meals two meals & two snacks three meals three meals six meals three meals one meal two meals nine meals nine meals Additional Items to Consider Manual can opener Scissors Hand grinder Manual hand mixer Lanterns Flashlights Battery-powered radio Two-way radio transmitter Matches/ lighters Extra batteries Alcohol pads Hand sanitizer Food-safe disinfecting wipes Calibrated thermometers Paper lunch bags Water containers Markers Tape Labels

Questions? Reach out to our experts at nutritionrc@gfs.com www.gfs.ca

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

STORAGE OF EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLIES Being prepared for emergencies and stocking food and water is a necessity. It is paramount to be well organized as this process protects the safety of patients/residents. There is considerable peace of mind and value in a pre-planned, shelf-stable meal program.

Best Practice: When you receive your merchandise, verify expiry dates.

Clearly label all items as 'Emergency Supply' & include storage date.

When possible, store as many items together as you can.

Canned food should never be stored in a refrigerator (risk of oxidation and rust).

Implement a 'food security plan' that includes completion of the following tasks on a regular basis: Verify storage area temperatures daily with a calibrated thermometer.

Inspect your supply to make sure there are no rusty, leaking, bulging or badly dented containers and no broken seals.

Immediately remove & replace any damaged items.

Rotate & re-label items in regular intervals (ex. quarterly).

Your emergency supplies must be rotated so nothing remains on the shelf longer than a year.

NOTE: If your facility has limited storage space or you are unable to safely store emergency food supplies, consider increasing your current par levels for any non-perishable items used on a regular basis. This way, food continues to be rotated and used; however, your inventory level will better accommodate food requirements if faced with an emergency.

Questions? Reach out to our experts at nutritionrc@gfs.com www.gfs.ca

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

EMPOWERING YOUR STAFF TO EXECUTE THE PLAN No matter what kind of crisis your healthcare operation is facing, the best way to manage it is to have a solid plan. But, what's a plan if no one knows about it?

Consider the following communication strategies to avoid chaos and empower your staff so that they spring into action with a purpose.

Have a paper copy of your plan & keep it in a central location.

Include: policies, procedures, order guides, menus & a list of all emergency supplies (both food & non-food) with details on their location.

Put your plan in a colourful binder (or bin) & provide signage to increase visibility.

Ensure the plan & binder/bin location are included as part of the departments' initial orientation checklist upon hire.

Include your emergency/disaster plan as a recurring agenda item for regular staff meetings or team huddles. This will help train staff to handle any situation that arises!

Highlight a particular part of the plan and provide a general overview. Choose a different plan detail for each meeting!

Bring forward an example of an emergency scenario and discuss the plan of action as a group.

Include discussions on 'order of priority' & how to best delegate tasks amongst staff to reach your goal (ex. Can we use disposable tableware and reassign the person washing dishes to help prepare & serve food?).

Document these discussions and include them in your emergency binder for future reference.

Questions? Reach out to our experts at nutritionrc@gfs.com www.gfs.ca

GORDON FOOD SERVICE RESOURCES

RELEVANT SOLUTIONS GUIDES

Mix & Match Meal Solutions The product lists included in this tool can be used as reference for building a menu and/or placing an order.

Refer to the 'Protein Rotation Schedule' when planning the use of perishable items on hand.

Use the list of ‘Sandwich Ingredients’ as inspiration for use of perishable items, as well as to better ensure variety.

Refer to the ‘Snacks’ list for plenty of ideas involving non-perishable/shelf-stable items. Minimal preparation involved and easy to serve!

Use the 'Tips & Tricks' Foodservice Operations resource to help guide staff & helping hands that may be working in a kitchen with minimal experience.

Posters: Put up in a central/visible area within your facility to guide staff in ensuring foodservice operations safety standards are met.

Print copies and include them in your emergency/disaster plan to provide to those who may be helping serve food, with minimal kitchen experience.

Spring/Summer Mix & Match Meal Solutions Although you may not use these exact products, the product considerations and tips and tricks included in this resource are universal to products of similar nature.

If anything, this information may provide inspiration when you are faced with the challenge of creating meals using perishable items to avoid spoilage.

Questions? Reach out to our experts at nutritionrc@gfs.com www.gfs.ca

GORDON FOOD SERVICE RESOURCES

RELEVANT SOLUTIONS GUIDES Cereal Solutions Guide Refer to the ready-made, thaw, and serve items on the last page for inspiration on items that can be provided during a staff shortage.

Provides creative uses for pantry staples such as pancake mix & muffin batter.

Disposable Solutions: Thinking Outside The Box Includes information on disposable material types to help you choose the right items when purchasing.

Best practice for using industrial dishwashers, as well as 3 compartment sinks to help you in continuing to meet safety standards.

Dairy Solutions Guide Refer to the products on the last page and consider shelf-stable non-dairy items as an option to replace dairy/milk.

Dairy is considered a perishable item and must be used before spoilage! This guide provides creative ideas to make use of perishable products such as shredded cheese, sour cream, plain yogurt & milk.

Questions? Reach out to our experts at nutritionrc@gfs.com www.gfs.ca

GORDON FOOD SERVICE RESOURCES

RELEVANT ARTICLES

Emergency Preparedness Starts with Planning

Is Your Healthcare Community Ready for an Emergency?

A Disaster-Planning Primer

How to Adjust Your Menu During an Outbreak

Additional Strategies for Adjusting Your Menu

Changes to Meal Delivery Procedures

Important Considerations for Your Healthcare Foodservice Operations

Questions? Reach out to our experts at nutritionrc@gfs.com www.gfs.ca

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