Our position

Aged care staff need training to provide adequate nutrition care and under the guidance of contemporary policies and procedures.

Nutrition training should be included in the vocational education training (VET) qualifications for all aged care staff. All staff should be required to complete training modules on food, nutrition and the dining experience to ensure up-to-date knowledge.

Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) should provide support in the aged care sector.

Background

Currently, aged care staff aren't required to study food and nutrition courses. This impacts the quality of care available in the aged care sector.

Without a strong understanding of food and nutrition, services such as grocery shopping, meal preparation and modified diets aren't being successfully provided to residents.

This results in nutrient deficiencies, and the risk of harm to the elderly.

APDs have the knowledge and skills required to improve food and nutrition systems in aged care, and should be involved in this.

APDs should be tasked with improving food systems, developing and implementing nutrition policies and procedures, and the upskilling of aged care staff through food and nutrition training.

For more information, download our full position statement on Aged Care Staff Skills and Training.