Training has made a ‘real difference’ for aged care resident Valmer’s food and dining experience
Valmer and Cliff, her husband, live in nearby rooms in BaptistCare Orana residential aged care home on the central coast.
‘The staff are very good and it's a nice place. I like living here. It’s just like being at home,’ Valmer says.
Valmer has noticed changes since BaptistCare Orana started the Maggie Beer Foundation’s Trainer Mentor Program. The program pairs kitchen staff with a chef trainer to improve residents’ food, nutrition and dining experience.
‘The changes all add up to make a real difference,’ Valmer says.
She believes the training has particularly helped BaptistCare Orana seek residents’ feedback and meet their preferences.
‘It’s easier to approach staff now, so that’s changed. We can tell staff what we like and what we don’t like,’ Valmer says.
‘If you want to ask for something or if you don’t like something, you can talk to the kitchen staff.
‘The food is the most important thing to me. Being able to talk to the chef is important. He’s very approachable. And I think the choice is a bit better now.’
Under the new Aged Care Act, there will be a new dedicated food and nutrition Aged Care Quality Standard. This requires aged care homes to work with residents to find out what they like to eat and drink, and offer appealing and varied choices.
The training has helped BaptistCare Orana to improve the whole dining experience. They are encouraging residents to eat meals together, rather than alone in their rooms.
‘The dining room is looking better. Improving it has made a difference,’ Valmer says.
‘We’re getting more people coming to the dining room. I go there all the time. Cliff is coming for meals now too. We have our meals together.
‘It was Cliff’s 88th birthday in November. We had a bit of a celebration with lunch in the dining room with our daughters and the staff.’
‘They made a cake – it was lovely. They always do something special for our birthdays and to celebrate other occasions too,’ Valmer says.
‘The food here is very good. They do different things to make the food interesting.’
Get help with food and nutrition in aged care
Check our information for:
- residential aged care providers and workers
- people considering aged care
- aged care residents and families.
