Long-term care providers face mounting challenges when it comes to managing food and nutrition programs – attributed to rising costs, staffing shortages and evolving resident preferences. These pressures stretch resources, making it difficult to balance quality and affordability in dining services, while also ensuring high-quality care for vulnerable residents.
Working with a credible group purchasing organization (GPO) can help long-term care providers navigate these challenges. From cost savings to operational expertise, GPOs empower providers to deliver exceptional dining experiences while keeping budgets intact.
Combating rising costs
Inflation and supply chain disruptions have made managing food costs increasingly difficult, elevating affordability as a top concern for long-term care communities. GPOs alleviate this strain by leveraging collective purchasing power to secure competitive pricing on food, equipment and supplies. They help communities ensure every dollar spent aligns with operational and nutritional goals.
Beyond securing competitive pricing, GPOs creating value for long-term care communities like AdvantageTrust, HealthTrust’s non-acute GPO, for example, provide tools to help communities maintain quality and stay within budget. AdvantageTrust members also benefit from real-time rebate transparency, allowing them to track savings at the point of order.
Addressing staffing shortages
According to the AHCA’s 2024 State of the Sector Report, staffing shortages remain a critical challenge. In many communities, a single person manages food programs alongside other responsibilities, leading to unmet resident needs and limited resources for menu planning and specialized training.
GPOs can help bridge these gaps through tailored operational support. For example, AdvantageTrust offers robust training programs, equipping culinary staff with skills like proper-hand hygiene, knife handling and recipe development. For communities facing staff shortages, AdvantageTrust also assists with outsourcing temporary staffing for positions such as chefs, food servers, dietitians, and kitchen production staff and maintenance workers when needed.
By optimizing food management and addressing workforce challenges, GPOs help providers build well-staffed, high-quality food and nutrition programs that enhance resident satisfaction and drive budget efficiency.
Enhancing food program efficiency and personalization
As resident expectations grow, communities must tailor offerings with evolving preferences and health needs. As a strategic partner, AdvantageTrust provides innovative solutions to meet these expectations, such as AI-driven menu optimization tools and unattended micro markets. These technologies reduce staff workloads, enhance operational efficiency, and give residents greater flexibility to enjoy meals on their own schedule.
Communities can also tailor menu cycles to reflect regional tastes, dietary requirements and seasonal shifts, creating a more personalized environment where residents feel heard, empowered and comfortable.
Maximizing the partnership
To fully benefit from a GPO partnership, long-term care providers should collaborate closely with their GPO to address food management challenges, taking advantage of access to valuable resources that enhance food services while reducing administrative burden on their teams.
By partnering with a GPO like AdvantageTrust, communities gain access to one of the nation’s largest food service distribution networks—spanning 80 distribution centers and over 110,000 products—ensuring affordability, quality and efficiency in food & nutrition programs. To learn more, visit www.advantagetrustpg.com.
