Real-life MMD: Waitress takes leftovers to give to a retirement home. Should I report

spelter

This sounds like the perfect solution; a good way to avoid wasting perfectly good food, whilst at the same time, giving the "old folks" a treat, to brighten up their day, and my first thought was to leave well alone. However, on reflection, there's always the possibility that some of those older people might be intolerant to some of the ingredients in the cakes etc., and this could cause them harm. I feel the best thing to do would be to say to your co-waitress that you're a bit concerned that some people on special diets might inadvertantly eat something that's bad for them, even life-threatening, and suggest she give the food to the person in charge of the residents' dietary needs at the home, rather than just plonk a bag of cakes on the table, or whatever, saying "come and get it!" In any event, don't report her - that would achieve nothing, I think.

happyinflorida

What a horrible boss - he'd rather see it go in the bin than allow the staff to either eat it or take it home or whatever.


Can we have the name of this boss and the name of the company so we can make sure we never, ever use it?


No you should not tell on this person.


I'm saddened that you have even thought about doing this. What sort of person does that make you?


How did you find out what she does with it?


She's doing something nice and giving it to elderly people as a treat.


Take it from me - in care homes the food they are given - even though they are paying a fortune to live there - the food is diabolical. So I expect these bits of food really are something to give them a real treat and something to look forward to and you want to stop that?


The only thing that I would be worried about is how she's transporting it and the temperature the foods being kept at and how long before they eat it? This is because the elderly are more vunerable to food poisoning and it could make them very ill if it's not kept at the correct temperature.


You don't say how long this has been going on and if it's been some time then it would appear this isn't a problem.


Think about others a bit more will you?

happyinflorida

Daycart1 wrote: »

Surely the Home should be providing cakes etc. for its residents rather than relying on staff to provide leftovers which are very likely to be past their safe eat by date. In any event if residents are welcoming this additional food it sounds like the Home is not giving them enough food in the first place. Cakes, biscuits and nutritious fluids should be available at all times and should be regularly offered, particularly for people with dementia who may forget to eat and may need encouragement to eat. I would be interested in whether there is a problem with weight loss at this Home and any other Homes that readers of this topic may visit as this is one of the most common dangers to health in older people.

From you reply I don't think you've been in any care homes or nursing homes or homes for EMI - dementia sufferers - because I have and the food served up in most is horrible. It's cheap, it's mushy, it's pretty tasteless and in some the residents are not getting enough to eat at all.


My mum has Alzheimer's and she's been in quite a few homes. Currently she's in one that charges £675 per week - yes per week and she has lost weight continuously. She looks like something out of a starvation camp. I have complained, it's got no where. Social services are monitoring her - as they do all the elderly in care homes and they think nothing of people losing weight - "it's to be expected" She is fed cheap, rubbish. Her food bill must cost them maximum £25 per week and I'm being very generous there. They give her cheap yogurts that contain no good quality ingredients - they're like Tesco value range.


This is what goes on in the homes of the UK unless you are very lucky. I haven't found a single home that is well run or that gives good food. They are just making £millions in profit from the elderly and the infirm.


When I complained at one home where the EMI residents were half starved, my mum was put on the "At risk" register by the manager of the home because I tried to move her! Social services were immediately alerted by this manager and I wasn't allowed to visit my mum for 3 weeks whilst the SS investigated and they did nothing about the care home. I was "interviewed" by 3 people - luckily I could prove the manager was a liar and finally I was allowed to move my mum but you have to know the whole system is diabolical and so wrong and so unjust. The majority of these care homes are run by people who only want profit, the care home that caused me all these problems was run by a husband and wife who were both doctors!! I tried complaining to them but they didn't want to know about their "wonderful manager" - the whole system is open to abuse.


All I can say for sure is I will never, ever go in a care home. I would kill myself before I ever allowed that to happen due to what I've seen.

freddy27

No way should you report her, better if you actually helped her.

Talent

florere wrote: »

This is a food hygiene issue, I used to work as a steward on the railway, 4 hours after the sandwiches were taken out of the fridge at the depot they had to be thrown away, one of the staff used to eat them when they were out of time, and he was very grateful to me when I explained to him why he shouldn't do it because, when he stopped, he got a lot less tummy aches.

Yes it is a food hygiene health and safety issue. However, about this 4hr business.... so at 3hr 59min the sarnies are ok to eat but at 4hr 01min they're dodgy.??? Hmmmm

Now for the dilemna.
No, you should not dob her in. However, you could lose your job if the bosses find out you knew and didn't report it. Now that is a dilemna!

2louche

Report her? For what? The only people at fault, in my opinion, are you for poking your nose and the business owner for throwing away good food.

Even if the food was for the 'perpetrator' to consume it's none of your business. As regards the owner - shame on them for not letting the staff have it or organising to donate it to a good cause themselves.

Throwing good food away is the only moral wrong in this equation.

Leave her be.

mychemgal

This situation is happening in my work ATM because unfortunately all the FT staff aren't trusted because after working hard and fast for a few hours someone wasted something and it gets thrown in the bin?? Perfectly good going to waste? And now she's getting a disciplinary in work because she needed a bit of energy.. Hmm. 'Wastage is not a reward' .. Well maybe it should be? I'm now leaving this company because all the rules don't make sense.. When you see a stressed waiter/waitress trying, they probably haven't eaten since before 12 and it can be 8 before they get the chance! So upset that I came back for this x (and my situation is a bit selfish, the one in question is essentially treating the needy with usable waste)

TheLurker

No you shouldn't report her, what's it to you?! Are you being paid overtime to be the company police woman? No - so keep out of it! I can't believe someone would deprive those people of a few treats.

POPPYOSCAR

All this about food being left out and so being harmful.

I have been to functions many times and been given left over food to take home that has been out for some time.

We have eaten it for days afterwards and not once been ill as a result.

More people have been taken ill by so called "fresh" food bought in/served in restaurants than eating leftovers.

spankygoodtime

oldtrout wrote: »

Exactly! Hardley a MMD. Each week they get dafter. More a MD (Moral Dilemma)

Health and Safety is the answer to why your bosses reached their decision.

I have paid for a couple of private functions where there has been loads of food leftover, and when I asked about taking it away, I was informed that I can't for H&S reasons.

The food is only allowed to be 'out' a certain length of time; it might get CONTAMINATED; it might get too warm, to a temperature where BACTERIA forms; it could cause FOOD POISONING; etc, and then who's to BLAME?

Although it might seem crazy to waste perfectly good food, there is a point here, especially with vulnerable, old people. Plus the fact that your colleague is THIEVING.

Should you say something? Of course you should ... to your colleague.

I was going to say the same thing but this poster has done it for me.

I am a former head chef and I used to have repeated arguments with staff working for me about this. Fine if it wasn't a health risk and the food was going in the bin anyway I'd let them take it - but in the case of buffets there won't be lot left that isn't high risk. As an example fresh fruit I didn't mind them having because the client had paid for it anyway, but there wasn't much else.

I used to ask them to see me and I'd give them a signed slip proving I'd said the stuff could go. If a security search caught them with anything else then they were on their own.

A friend of mine was made to fire an employee of 16 years because she was caught taking out a bottle of milk that was on its last date. It broke her heart to do it, but she had no choice - it was company policy.