Tips from Trestle: The Senior Living Food and Hospitality Podcast

Aaron Fish
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

Tips From Trestle is a podcast focused on discussion about senior living food, hospitality, & the community experience. Hosted by THE Hospitality Executive to the Senior Living Industry Aaron Fish, he shares his thoughts, musings and discussions about food & beverage operations, community & resident experiences, and trends & happenings in the senior living industry. To be considered as a guest for TFT, please send an email to info@trestlehc.com Tips from Trestle is sponsored by: - eMenuCHOICE POS - Clark Pro - DiningRD Trestle Tactics is sponsored by - Gordon Food Service

  1. 4d ago

    Music, Muscle, and Memory: A Dementia Fitness Breakthrough | Ep. 524

    Falls are one of the biggest fears in memory care — but new research suggests the fix might be simpler than we think. Host Aaron Fish sits down with Deborah Rothschild, founder of ToughAgers LLC and creator of Debra Does Fitness, live from the Eden Alternative International Conference. Deborah unpacks a 9-week study comparing resistance training, aerobic exercise, and social visits in people with dementia — and reveals which approach actually improved cognition. She also explains the four types of memory that shape how you should coach a fitness session, why she borrows principles from her former career as a Montessori preschool teacher, and how music tied to someone's "sticky years" can unlock movement other cues can't reach. A practical, research-backed conversation for anyone building fall-prevention and wellness programming in senior living.Tips from Trestle is sponsored by: WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOxDining With Dementia: https://bit.ly/TFT_DwD100% Leader: https://bit.ly/TFT_100 #TFT523 #SeniorLiving #DementiaCare #FallPrevention #MemoryCare #AgingWell #SeniorFitness #ToughAgers #EdenAlternative #HealthyAging #CaregiverTips #LongTermCare #BrainHealth #MontessoriMethod #IndependentLiving #ActivitiesDirector

    Music, Muscle, and Memory: A Dementia Fitness Breakthrough | Ep. 524

  2. Aug 10

    Predict, Prepare, Recover: Senior Living Readiness | Ep. 523

    When disaster strikes a senior living community, the immediate emergency is only the beginning. Aaron Fish welcomes Claudine Ripert of Critical Control to discuss senior living disaster preparedness, property protection, resident relocation, insurance coverage, FEMA documentation, and the long tail of recovery. Claudine explains her Predict, Prepare, Recover framework and shares why leadership teams need clearer decision authority, stronger vendor relationships, regular insurance reviews, and better documentation before an event occurs. This episode is essential listening for senior living executives, regional operators, executive directors, risk-management teams, and anyone responsible for protecting residents, teams, and community assets. Tips from Trestle is sponsored by: WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOxDining With Dementia: https://bit.ly/TFT_DwD100% Leader: https://bit.ly/TFT_100 #TFT523 #SeniorLiving #SeniorLivingLeadership #EmergencyPreparedness #DisasterRecovery #BusinessContinuity #RiskManagement #ResidentSafety #HealthcareLeadership #AssistedLiving #LongTermCare #SeniorCare #CrisisManagement #FEMA #DisasterResilience #OperationalExcellence

    Predict, Prepare, Recover: Senior Living Readiness | Ep. 523

  3. Aug 4

    High Potential vs. High Performer: What Every Senior Living Leader Gets Wrong | Ep. 522

    Are you sitting on untapped talent inside your own community? In this episode, Aaron Fish talks with Samantha Schreiber, Senior HR Manager at Floor & Decor and former HR Director at Phoenix Senior Living, about the critical difference between high-performing and high-potential employees in senior living. They break down the nine-box talent planning tool, explore why low effort is often a symptom of feeling undervalued rather than a personality flaw, and calculate the real cost of quiet quitting and turnover in food and hospitality roles. Plus: practical, budget-conscious recognition strategies that work even when raises aren't an option, and why employee engagement directly drives resident satisfaction. A must-listen for executive directors, administrators, and HR leaders in senior living. Tips from Trestle is sponsored by: WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOxDining With Dementia: https://bit.ly/TFT_DwD100% Leader: https://bit.ly/TFT_100

    High Potential vs. High Performer: What Every Senior Living Leader Gets Wrong | Ep. 522

  4. Aug 4

    High Potential vs. High Performer: What Every Senior Living Leader Gets Wrong | Ep. 522

    Are you sitting on untapped talent inside your own community? In this episode, Aaron Fish talks with Samantha Schreiber, Senior HR Manager at Floor & Decor and former HR Director at Phoenix Senior Living, about the critical difference between high-performing and high-potential employees in senior living. They break down the nine-box talent planning tool, explore why low effort is often a symptom of feeling undervalued rather than a personality flaw, and calculate the real cost of quiet quitting and turnover in food and hospitality roles. Plus: practical, budget-conscious recognition strategies that work even when raises aren't an option, and why employee engagement directly drives resident satisfaction. A must-listen for executive directors, administrators, and HR leaders in senior living. Tips from Trestle is sponsored by: WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOxDining With Dementia: https://bit.ly/TFT_DwD100% Leader: https://bit.ly/TFT_100

    High Potential vs. High Performer: What Every Senior Living Leader Gets Wrong | Ep. 522

  5. Jul 28

    Slow Down, Lead Up: A Real Crisis Playbook for Senior Living Leaders | Ep. 521

    A crisis playbook isn't a binder you pull off a shelf — it's a discipline. In this episode, Aaron Fish sits down with Damon Thomas, Senior Vice President of Operations at Providence Senior Living and a 30-year senior living veteran, to break down how real leaders respond when things go wrong. Damon shares the difference between predictable emergencies and unpredictable human-driven crises, introduces his HEAT framework, and explains why regulators respond to composure, not panic. Whether you're an executive director, a regional leader, or anyone who's ever been the first call when something goes sideways, this episode gives you a real, usable playbook for staying calm, controlling the narrative, and leading through it. In this episode: Why crisis playbooks are about sequence, not checklists The four crises leaders most often underestimate The HEAT framework for de-escalating any tense conversation How to communicate with regulators as partners, not adversaries Why silence creates rumors and oversharing creates liability Follow Tips from Trestle for weekly conversations on senior living food, hospitality, and leadership. Learn more about Trestle Hospitality Concepts at www.trestlehospitalityconcepts.com.

    Slow Down, Lead Up: A Real Crisis Playbook for Senior Living Leaders | Ep. 521

  6. Jul 14

    Pages Built for Brain Change | Ep. 520

    Are the books and magazines in your lobby designed for the brains you actually serve—or for the people who picked them out years ago? In this episode of Tips from Trestle, Aaron talks with Mindful Libraries co-creators Nikki Jardin and Laurette Klier to explore how dementia-friendly reading can transform resident engagement in senior living communities. They share the deeply personal stories behind Mirador Magazine and Nana’s Books, born from caring for loved ones with young onset Alzheimer’s and Lewy body dementia who suddenly lost access to the magazines, newspapers, and novels they once loved. You’ll hear how accessible design, Atkinson Hyperlegible fonts, thick paper, and thoughtfully curated images make it possible for people living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment to enjoy reading again. Nikki and Laurette describe the Mindful Library concept: a beautiful, always-available reading nook that shifts activity programming from “doing” to “being,” creating organic, heart-centered connections over coffee, charcuterie, and conversation. They also share what it meant to see their publications used as teaching tools at Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care training, validating the impact Mindful Libraries can have for operators, caregivers, and families. If you’re a senior living operator, activity professional, dementia caregiver, or public librarian looking to enhance engagement, this episode offers practical ideas for building inclusive, resident-centered reading experiences that feel like home Tips from Trestle is sponsored by: WiseOx: https://bit.ly/TFT_WiseOxDining With Dementia: https://bit.ly/TFT_DwD100% Leader: https://bit.ly/TFT_100 #TFT520 #SeniorLiving #DementiaCare #AlzheimersAwareness #CognitiveWellbeing #ResidentExperience #MemoryCare #PositiveApproachToCare #EdenAlternative #AgingWithDignity #CaregiverSupport #InclusiveDesign #ReminiscenceTherapy #EngagedAging #DementiaFriendly #SeniorLivingFoodAndHospitality #TipsFromTrestle #ElevateTheExperience

    Pages Built for Brain Change | Ep. 520

  7. Jul 6

    The Middleman Myth: What GPOs Really Do | Ep. 519

    Host Aaron Fish welcomes Jeff Webb, Senior Manager of Business Development at HealthTrust Performance Group, to explore how senior living operators can maximize GPO (Group Purchasing Organization) and food distributor partnerships to lower food costs and elevate dining programs. Jeff shares a real-world case where a multi-property operator cut food spend by nearly 6% through smarter, quality-first purchasing decisions, while transforming their menu into a restaurant-style experience. The two dispel the "middleman" myth, explain why salary-based GPO reps are incentivized purely to find savings, and dive into how tiered rebate structures work in practice. Listeners also get insight into texture-modified diets, Mediterranean diet menu trends, and dining-with-dementia strategies drawn from Jeff's personal caregiving experience. Perfect for dining directors, executive directors, and administrators evaluating whether a GPO partnership is right for their community — with no long-term contract required.

    The Middleman Myth: What GPOs Really Do | Ep. 519

  8. Jun 30

    RE-RELEASE: From Table to Tour | Tips from Trestle | Ep. 518

    In this throwback episode, host Aaron Fish reunites with Shawn McGregor — Senior Executive Chef at Healthcare Services Group — to continue the conversation from their standout panel at the Florida Senior Living Association conference. Sean oversees culinary and systems training across more than 2,000 kitchens in 48 states, making him one of the most experienced culinary voices in senior care. In this conversation, Aaron and Shawn cover: training dining staff with storytelling rather than just technique, the engagement power of showtime/live cooking demonstrations, how to navigate dietary restrictions using clinically-driven menus, why getting your chef out of the kitchen is a tour strategy, and the golden rule of underpromising and overdelivering on prospects. Whether you're an operator, a chef, a marketer, or a sales director — this episode is your dining room roadmap. 🎧 Subscribe on Spotify | Follow @tipsfromtrestle

    RE-RELEASE: From Table to Tour | Tips from Trestle | Ep. 518
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About

Tips From Trestle is a podcast focused on discussion about senior living food, hospitality, & the community experience. Hosted by THE Hospitality Executive to the Senior Living Industry Aaron Fish, he shares his thoughts, musings and discussions about food & beverage operations, community & resident experiences, and trends & happenings in the senior living industry. To be considered as a guest for TFT, please send an email to info@trestlehc.com Tips from Trestle is sponsored by: - eMenuCHOICE POS - Clark Pro - DiningRD Trestle Tactics is sponsored by - Gordon Food Service

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