As senior living evolves for new generations of residents, dining is on the forefront of innovation. To recognize the leaders who are raising the bar on culinary excellence, we are proud to announce the inaugural DISHED Senior Living Dining Innovation Awards.

These awards honor individuals who are visionaries within their organizations and the senior living sector at-large. They spotlight culinary experts whose creativity and passion are transforming senior living dining - from menu creation and innovating the resident dining experience, to leveraging new technologies and implementing new operational models, and more.

Subscribe to the 2025 DISHED Senior Living Dining Innovation Awards to stay up-to-date.

AWARDS

The following categories are open to providers serving senior living organizations:

IMPORTANT DATES

MARCH 2025
Nominations Open

MAY 31, 2025
Submissions Due

Subscribe to the 2025 DISHED Innovation Awards to stay up-to-date

© 2025 WTWH Healthcare

COMPETITION FAQs

When do the DISHED Senior Living Dining Innovation Awards take place?
Nominations open on Monday, March 3, 2025. All entries must be submitted by Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 11:59pm CDT.

Who is eligible to apply?
All nominees must be employed by a for-profit or nonprofit senior living provider and/or the vendor partners that support them.

What is the nomination process?
Individuals or an organization may nominate a person for the awards program via the online submission form. Below are key dates to note:

• March 3, 2025 - Nomination window opens

• May 31, 2025 - All submissions must be completed by 11:59pm Central Daylight Time (CDT)

How much does it cost to enter the inaugural DISHED Senior Living Dining Innovation Awards?
The entry fee is $500. All entries must be paid via credit card prior to the entry deadline of May 31, 2025 at 11:59pm CDT in order to be considered for eligibility for consideration and judging. Entry fees are non-refundable. 

What items do I need to submit for this awards program?
Below are the minimum requirements for the awards application process:
Complete the Entry Form with the following information:

• Nominator's name, organization, job title, email address and phone number
• Information on their work for recognition, including:
• A maximum 500-word written statement outlining the nominee’s qualifications that address the judging criteria for the program (PDF or Word document)
• Current resume or CV (PDF or Word document)
• Nominee’s headshot (Hi-resolution JPG or PNG file)
• Professional Letters of Recommendation
• Submit a minimum of two (2) letters of recommendation (one (1) internal letter of recommendation and one (1) external letter of recommendation) or up to a maximum of four (4) letters of recommendation (at least one (1) has to be an external letter of recommendation) outlining why the nominee excels in dining innovation based upon the criteria set forth for the competition. 
• Nominators should include contact information (email, phone number) for a brief interview/verification.

What is the judging criteria for this program?

Innovation Impact: Describe the positive impacts of the changes spearheaded by the nominee, considering areas such as resident satisfaction and engagement, staff satisfaction and retention, operational efficiency and profitability, and public perception of senior living.

Leadership Qualities: Briefly describe the qualities of the nominee that provides examples of their innovative contributions to senior living dining and include specific examples that demonstrate their leadership acumen.

Entrepreneurial Spirit: Describe the nominee’s ability to drive innovation in their organization, their initiative, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Ethics and Professionalism: Describe how the nominee has demonstrated exemplary ethics and professionalism.

What is the evaluation process?
All submissions will be evaluated by the WTWH Healthcare, a WTWH Media company, editorial staff. The editorial team may select up to forty (40) members from the submissions. 

Selection of a DISHED Senior Living Dining Innovation Award winner is at the sole discretion of the editorial staff. The entries selected for the inaugural DISHED Senior Living Dining Innovation Awards class for each category will be announced on July 15, 2025.

Who do I contact with additional questions?
If you have any questions, please reach out to the WTWH Healthcare Awards Program Manager at [email protected].

Operational Optimizer:
Highlights operational trailblazers implementing new approaches and models to gain efficiencies, improve the bottom line, build stronger workforces and elevate overall operations, while maintaining and enhancing resident satisfaction

Culinary Canvas: 
Recognizes leaders driving excellence in how dining programs are showcased across marketing channels, including imagery, video, social media, and other dining-related media content   

Elevating the Experience:
Showcases innovators raising the bar on programming and service with the goal of boosting the senior living dining experience

Palate Pleaser:
Honors chefs and other food & beverage professionals for their innovations in menu creation, use of ingredients, and culinary techniques  

The following category is open to third-party vendors serving senior living organizations:

Partner in Innovation:
Recognizes individuals serving senior living dining programs in a vendor capacity, through technology, equipment, ingredients, and more, with an emphasis on how their overall efforts have supported their clients’ ability to innovate