Retirement/assisted living facility and cross contamination in the kitchen

[Kelly Kimball]

I have Celiac Disease. I live in a retirement/assisted living facility. I cannot eat the food they serve because of cross contamination in the kitchen. I have to order my food from places like Whole Foods or other markets, and prepare it myself. In spite of that, the nurse is telling prospective new tenants that "Yes, we can serve gluten free food!", which is not true! I think this is against the law. 

Is there something I should do?

[Scott Adams]

That sounds incredibly frustrating, and you’re right to take it seriously—especially since for someone with celiac disease, “gluten-free” has to mean truly free from cross-contact, not just menu labeling. Facilities that claim they can accommodate medical dietary needs but fail to do so may be misrepresenting their services, and in some cases this can raise concerns under consumer protection laws or disability-related regulations. A good first step is to document your experiences (including any statements made by staff), then bring your concerns in writing to facility management and request a clear, accurate policy. You could also consider filing a complaint with your state’s long-term care ombudsman or health department, and possibly consulting a local attorney familiar with elder care or disability law. At the very least, they should be required to give prospective residents honest information so people with celiac disease can make informed decisions.

[trents]

One issue here is the definition of "gluten free". According to FDA regs, food product manufacturers can label a product "gluten free" as long as it doesn't contain more than 20ppm of gluten. And that is a standard that works for most celiacs but not for all. Some are sensitive to smaller concentrations. Would that same FDA standard be applicable to the food served by long term care facilities? Is the amount of cross contamination happening in their kitchen resulting in the eclipsing of that standard? How would know? 

But I do agree with Scott that in the interest of transparency, the facility where you are living ought to explain to those needing to avoid gluten who are living there or are considering living there that they cannot guarantee that some gluten will not be introduced into the food they serve trough cross contact since they are not able to offer a dedicated gluten free environment.

[Mari]

Hi Kelly,

We have had at keast 2 discussions abour people with Celiacs moving into assisted living. . No easy solutens to the problems  Celiacs face  when they cannot eat the food served so they need to prepare their own meals or order gluten-free meals.  You seem to be coping quite well. It is not clear to me whether you are suffering because you miss the companionship of shared meals or are a little outraged by the unfairness of your situation/ It is unfair but if you managed to force the  facility to provide a gluten-free kitchen they would go bankrupt.  Just too expensive. Many of the residents would become outraged at not eating the gluten foods they love to eat.

.I think you have adapted very wellIf this place does provide some foods that are gluten-free but cross contaminated you may be able to use an antigluten enzyme that you could take with meals. The one advertised here, GliadinX works well for me. Bring your own bread and pastries from your freezer. I sympathize. You could still follow through with the suggestions Scott and Trents made.