"They want the same things as we do."
This is how Daniel Grant, a Direct Support Professional at YAI's Johnson Avenue residence in Long Island, explains what motivates him every day on the job.
So earlier this year, when his supervisor showed staff YAI's "Good Enough to Eat," training DVD on preparing appealing pureed foods and thickened liquids, Daniel and some of his colleagues were inspired to take it a step further.

Two of the seven residents that Daniel works with require pureed diets. He loved that the training emphasized making  pureed foods that resemble the foods in their original form.
"Food is very important to our guys," Daniel said. "I always have to think, 'If I were in their situation, how would I feel eating that kind of meal?' That extra 10-15 minutes it takes us to puree the food separately and make it look better makes a big difference."
Daniel saw this first-hand when Debra, one of the residents, had first been put on a puree diet. He made her a ham and cheese sandwich "5-Star Puree style" as Daniel and his colleagues refer to the process. "You could tell she was enjoying her meal," Daniel said.
He also was pivotal and ensuring that when the residents go out to dinner on Thursday nights, those on puree diets go ahead of time to pick out their meals. They go home where the food is pureed, shaped and placed in the packaging in which it is sold. This allows those residents to enjoy their meal with everyone else, instead of waiting for it to be pureed.
"Daniel has always been a strong advocate for the guys," said Victor Connolly, his Supervisor. “He looks at our guys as you would any other adults.”
"We need to put ourselves in their shoes," Daniel said. "If we don't, how are we going to be able to best understand and support them?"