Training helps Resthaven Marion increase kitchen efficiency and improve nutrition to better serve residents
Kelly Parini oversees food services at Resthaven Marion, a 159-bed aged care home in Adelaide.
She started working in aged care after caring for her father, who is now a resident.
‘The best thing about working in aged care is being able to improve the environment people live in. Interacting with residents is important. It’s one of the things I love about my job,’ Kelly says.
The Department of Health and Aged Care has partnered with the Maggie Beer Foundation to deliver free training to aged care staff. The foundation’s Trainer Mentor Program includes a menu appraisal and coaching from a qualified chef trainer to improve residents’ food experience. Staff also have access to the online learning modules to stay up to date on aged care nutrition and dining best practice.
‘We thought it would be a good idea because we’re always looking to learn, develop and improve. It’s good for residents and staff,’ Kelly says.
Going into the training, Kelly was confident that the food was of a high standard.
‘We weren’t perfect, but I think we were moving in the right direction. There are always improvements to make. You always need to be pushing and developing,’ Kelly says.
The Trainer Mentor Program approach is tailored to each home’s kitchen operations, food quality and residents’ dining experience. An initial assessment informs where the trainer should focus to achieve the greatest improvement.
To start, the trainer focused on making kitchen workflow more efficient and collaborative.
‘We’ve looked at staff shifts and how they work in the kitchen. We moved shifts so the chef and assistant cook work together more, collaborate and get more cooking done,’ Kelly says.
Resthaven will be incorporating learning from the program across all 12 of their residential sites. Aged care providers will need to meet a new dedicated food and nutrition Quality Standard from 1 July 2025 under the new Aged Care Act.
‘The training has helped us move forward with a more natural approach to protein and nutrition fortification, which will help us meet the new standard,’ Kelly says.
‘We have incorporated the Maggie Beer mashed potato recipe, as well as their gravies and some soup recipes into our menus. We are fortifying with protein using skim milk powder and lentils.’
Under the new Quality Standard, providers need to work with older people to find out what they like to eat and drink. Resthaven Marion has existing processes to seek residents’ feedback.
All residents are encouraged to fill out menu feedback cards and share their thoughts when they see staff.
‘We also ask for feedback about the food in the resident meetings every second month. And we have meal committee meetings with residents when our seasonal menus are renewed,’ Kelly says.
‘Staff and management buy lunches from the kitchen every day, so we eat the food alongside the residents.’
Kelly understands the importance of social interaction and how the dining experience can help that. This is an area she wants to continue to improve.
‘Going into the dining room and enjoying lunch or dinner can be a big part of every individual’s day. It’s an opportunity for them to socialise,’ Kelly says.
Currently, most residents enjoy breakfast in their rooms, but Kelly is considering options to create a social morning dining experience.
‘We’re going to trial a big buffet style breakfast in the dining room. Over time, we’re hoping to get a majority of residents eating breakfast in the dining room.’
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