Our position

Adequate funding is needed to implement menu standards and quality meals for consumers of aged care services.

Food production and presentation should be prioritised for aged care consumers, and evidence-based National Meal Guidelines are essential to provide frameworks for residential aged care.

Home delivered and centre-based meal programs need to be evaluated, monitored and improved.

Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) can provide the expert medical nutrition knowledge and advice, working with consumers and staff to deliver high-quality food presentation and production.

Background

Food presentation plays a critical role in providing high quality food services in residential aged care. It contributes to consumer satisfaction with meals and an increased likelihood that meals will be eaten.

Current budget restrictions limit the quality of food production and presentation. Lack of funding makes it difficult to cater to the large range of texture-modified dietary requirements among aged care consumers.

Improving the choice of meals, meal ordering processes, presentations (including those of texture-modified meals) and nutritional quality of meals is essential to improve this experience and consumer satisfaction.

For more information, download our full position statement.