Improving food and nutrition is ‘all about the residents’ at Heywood Rural Health
Leigh Beddows manages the kitchen team at Heywood Rural Health in regional Victoria.
Heywood Rural Health is halfway through the Maggie Beer Foundation’s Trainer Mentor Program. The program includes a menu appraisal and tailored advice from a qualified chef trainer on how to make changes at their service. Staff also complete online learning modules to help them understand best practice for food, nutrition and dining in aged care.
The Department of Health and Aged Care has partnered with the Maggie Beer Foundation to deliver free training to the sector. The training helps aged care homes get ready for the new dedicated food and nutrition Quality Standard under the new Aged Care Act from 1 July 2025.
‘The food and nutrition standard has come up a lot,’ Leigh says. ‘We knew we needed to do something different.’
‘There’s a real focus in the standard about hitting nutritional targets [older people need higher levels of critical nutrients, like protein and calcium]. We have to demonstrate that recipes are nutritionally compliant as well as enjoyable,’ Leigh says.
‘Some recipe suggestions in the training really help us hit that mark, like adding the right amount of skim milk powder to a cake or porridge recipe to boost protein intake without changing the flavour.’
Under the new Quality Standard, providers also need to work with older people to find out what they like to eat and drink and offer choices. Heywood Rural Health is delivering a food forum every month so residents and family members can have their say on the food.
‘That has really empowered residents to have their say. It keeps us honest,’ says Leigh.
The training has supported Heywood Rural Health to focus on the dining experience and bring a communal feel back to the dining room,’ Leigh says.
‘Our staff have noticed a positive difference in residents on Wednesdays. We think it’s because we started a Wednesday morning breakfast club with a communal cooked breakfast. Later that day the residents then consume more of their lunch because of that stimulation.’
‘Our intensive training was in September, so it was good timing for Christmas. We hosted a big communal dining experience in the leisure and lifestyle room.’
Christmas was followed up with a New Year’s Eve barbecue.
‘We invited family along. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to cook a few extra portions when you’re already producing so much,’ Leigh says.
‘It’s really about changing it up so the residents are not sitting at the same dining table every day.’
The trainer also helped them make texture modified foods visually enticing for residents with swallowing difficulties.
‘We learned about serving texture-modified meals in a dignified fashion. It's not much more work to make it more presentable with the correct workflow methods,’ Leigh says.
Leigh was initially sceptical that the training would be tailored to Heywood Rural Health.
‘I thought it can’t be completely tailored because the trainers must have particular goals or agendas that go across all of the homes. But I was wrong,’ Leigh says.
‘There might be some recommendations that apply to all homes, but our training was completely tailored. It was also achievable.’
Leigh is a strong advocate of the training.
‘It's beneficial for residents, staff and the organisation. It helps providers meet the new food and nutrition Quality Standard, which can look daunting. But when you pick it apart, it's easily achievable and it's all about the residents,’ Leigh says.
Oven-baked fish ready for taste testing
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