Food and nutrition support for aged care providers and older people

Education and support are available to aged care providers and their staff to help them build their skills and ability to supply nutritious and appetising food to their clients.

Free menu and mealtime reviews for residential providers

Under the Menu and Mealtime Reviews Program, residential aged care services can get an on-site review by an accredited practising dietitian.

This will help services meet the new food and nutrition Aged Care Quality Standard.

Expressions of interest close 4 December 2024.

All residential aged care services can participate. This includes National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program providers.

Free workforce education and training

A free education and training program through the Maggie Beer Foundation is available to cooks, chefs and food service staff working in aged care services. The program aims to:

All training and education opportunities are available for residential aged care, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATSIFAC) and Multi-Purpose Services (MPS) providers.

The following training options are available:

  • 16 free online learning modules open to anyone – new topics include
    • hydration
    • texture-modified diets
    • regeneration of cook-chill
    • cooking in the community 
    • dining with dementia
  • state and territory training hubs – these bring aged care chefs and cooks together to learn practical skills from expert chef trainers
  • a trainer mentor program – participating kitchen teams in individual aged care homes receive on-site mentoring by a professional chef trainer (applications open now)
  • a professional community to share experience, knowledge and support – this is open to people who have completed any of the program activities.

Find out more or register for these activities.

Supplement for residential aged care providers

The hotelling supplement:

  • helps aged care providers meet the costs of hotel services, such as catering
  • funds a wage increase for aged care head chefs and cooks.

MPS and NATSIFAC services are not eligible for the hotelling supplement. They receive $10 per resident per day through their individual payment methods.

The hotelling supplement replaces the previous Basic Daily Fee supplement.

Read more in:

Dietary guidelines for people aged 65 years and over

We are funding the National Health and Medical Research Council to develop new dietary guidelines and resources for people aged 65 years and over.

These guidelines will support good nutritional intake and reduce the malnutrition risk for older people.

Support for individuals and families

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is leading a consumer awareness and preparedness campaign to:

  • increase older people’s understanding of aged care provider responsibilities about food, nutrition and dining
  • advise on how to raise concerns about food quality.

Find food, nutrition and dining resources for:  

Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline

Call the Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline if you have questions, concerns or complaints about your food, nutrition and dining experience in aged care. The hotline is run by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
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