What must assisted living residences provide to meet residents' nutritional needs?

Assisted living residences are required to provide dining services directly within the facility to adequately meet the nutritional needs of their residents. This means that they must offer meals prepared on-site, ensuring that residents have access to nutritious food in a convenient and familiar environment.

Providing dining services directly in the facility allows for better control over meal quality, temperature, and hygiene, and also accommodates individual dietary restrictions and preferences that may be specific to each resident. This setup fosters a community atmosphere, where residents can socialize during meal times, which is an important aspect of the overall well-being of seniors.

The other options do not fully meet the needs of residents. For example, daily snacks alone would not suffice as a primary source of nutrition, while meals delivered from off-site could lead to inconsistencies in quality and may not accommodate specific dietary needs. Meal vouchers for restaurants do not offer the necessary direct oversight and management of food services that are essential in ensuring residents' health and nutritional standards within a formal care setting.