Editor's note: The following was received as an open letter to Minister of Health Terry Lake and Northern Health officials.
Honourable Terry Lake, Minister of Health:
My name is Helen Leino and I am a long-term care resident at Northern Health's Masset Hospital.
I am writing you to convey my displeasure with the food being served to residents of the Northern Health Masset Hospital. I find myself not being able to eat the food due to the following:
1. Poor texture: I find the food to be quite soft in general.
2. Poor appearance and presentation: The food is homogenous and sloppy in appearance.
3. Poor flavour: I find the food to be consistently over or under-seasoned based on the dish.
4. Poor selection and variety: I have little control over the menu and would choose different meals if given the option.
5. Poor product freshness: The food provided does not have a fresh taste, but rather, tastes stale.
Due to the aforementioned reasons, I very seldom, if ever, eat these commercially-prepared meals. I rely on fresh food brought in on my behalf or provided by others. This is a situation I find frustrating given that I am already paying for meals.
Ideally, I would like to see a return to the previous model of food preparation and delivery. However, I am open to discussing other possible resolutions with you.
Helen Leino
Masset