When Emily Jones took on the role of dietician with the company serving as the dining partner for the Heritage Pointe senior living communities –including Heritage Pointe of Huntington, Heritage Pointe of Warren and Heritage Pointe of Fort Wayne— it was like a homecoming.
That’s because Jones’ grandmother, who’s 92, lives at Heritage Pointe of Warren, and two of her great-grandparents—one of whom lived to 102— were previous Heritage Pointe residents.
“I’ve been coming to Heritage Pointe all of my life,” says Jones, adding that members of her church and people she knew while growing up also live at Heritage Pointe.
Having that deep connection only strengthens her desire to offer nutritionally balanced, healthy meals for all of the residents of the communities that provide a continuum of care, including independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, and short-term rehab.
Jones, who started her job in June 2024, is a graduate of Purdue University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in dietetics.
From there, she went to work for another senior living community. Still, she was drawn to her current role because of her familiarity and respect for the Heritage Pointe communities and their emphasis on providing the healthiest meals possible for residents.
“Pretty much everything we provide is made from scratch,” she says.
Jones’ job is to ensure that residents receive the meals that meet their nutritional needs, fortify them and that they enjoy eating. That starts with getting to know the residents.
“We assess residents for their nutritional concerns and dietary restrictions and any potential negative clinical outcomes so we can put in interventions, and they can improve their health,” she says.
Jones ensures that residents have options and choices in what they eat.
“Our goal is to present a home-like environment,” she says. “I work with the kitchen on developing menus. We give them an array of options and alternatives.”
With most of Heritage Pointe’s residents hailing from the Midwest, she says old-fashioned comfort foods –biscuits with gravy or lasagna—for instance, are very popular.
“They are just like the home-cooked meals that Mom used to serve,” she says. “We want the residents to enjoy their meal times –with smells and foods that bring back memories.”
Meals aren’t only about what’s on the plate but also about socialization and building connections.
“We encourage them to come out and enjoy the scenery and each other,” she says.
Jones says one of the best parts of her job is seeing residents improve their health and grow stronger, and knowing that by providing well-balanced and nutritious meals, she is helping them thrive.
Knowing so many of the residents—not to mention her own grandmother—is another enjoyable and impactful aspect of her job.
“It’s been fun to get to know the residents and to love on some people that I’ve known my entire life,” she says.
