Good food is not a side note in dementia care. It is one of the first things to slip when a person can no longer plan a meal, and one of the fastest ways their health declines. At Friends Place, we cook fresh meals on site at both of our Dallas-Fort Worth day centers, keep members hydrated, and shape every plate around the medical needs that come with age and memory loss. Families from across the metro rely on us for one simple relief: they stop wondering whether their loved one ate a real meal today.
Nutrition and Dietary Services at Friends Place Across Dallas-Fort Worth
What our meal program includes
Every day at each center, our kitchens prepare:
- A continental breakfast to start the morning
- A hot lunch served at the table, family style rather than on a tray
- Morning and afternoon snacks to hold energy steady
- Water and juice offered at least three times a day so no one goes hours without fluids
Sharing a meal at a set table does something a solo dinner at home cannot. It pulls members out of isolation and turns lunch into real company.
Meals shaped around medical needs
Age and dementia rarely arrive with a simple appetite. Our meals follow dietary review and adjust for the conditions our members live with, including diabetic and heart-conscious plates, softened textures for swallowing difficulty, and low-salt, low-sugar, and allergy-aware options. A licensed nurse keeps an eye on weight and appetite over time, so a member who starts eating less gets noticed early and their family gets told.
Hydration through the Texas heat
Dehydration sends more North Texas seniors to the hospital than families expect, and a person with dementia often will not register thirst. Through the long Dallas-Fort Worth summer, our staff offer fluids on a routine and watch for early warning signs, so a hot afternoon never turns into an emergency.
The same standard at both Dallas-Fort Worth centers
We run this program the same way north and south of the metro. Read how meals and dietary care work at our Richardson day center or our DeSoto day center. Between the two, we serve families across Dallas-Fort Worth, including Plano, Garland, Allen, McKinney, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Lancaster, and the Oak Cliff side of Dallas.
Why Dallas-Fort Worth families count on our kitchens
Since 2005, we have fed members with memory loss and learned how to coax a fading appetite back. We treat the dining table as part of the care, not a break from it, and our staff know that a warm, familiar meal can steady a difficult day. For the caregiver at home, knowing that a hot, balanced lunch is handled every weekday lifts a weight they have often carried alone for months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Each center prepares a continental breakfast, a hot lunch, and snacks fresh every day, plus water and juice served at least three times daily. Nothing arrives frozen in a tray.
We can. Menus follow dietary review and adjust for diabetic, heart-conscious, low-salt, allergy, and swallowing needs, and our nurse monitors how each member is doing over time.
Appetite loss is common with dementia. Our staff gently encourage eating, offer favorites, and track weight and intake, and we tell you promptly if we see a worrying change.
Our Richardson center serves the north metro and Collin County, and our DeSoto center serves the Best Southwest and southern Dallas County. Together we cover much of Dallas-Fort Worth.
A half day of five hours or less is $80 and a full day is $100, with a one-time $65 enrollment fee. Long-term care insurance is accepted, and the VA may cover eligible veterans.