Our position

We call for government investment into aged care services to fund nutritious and culturally-appropriate meals for aged care residents.

National Meal Guidelines and accountability frameworks need to be developed for home-delivered and centre-based meal programs.

All aged care providers should use an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) to provide training for all staff and monitor the food and nutrition services being provided.

The current standard of food, nutrition and the dining experience needs improving in order to meet the diverse needs of aged care consumers.

Background

The right to adequate food is a human right and is essential for the physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing of older Australians.

At present, government and organisational support are inadequate. This contributes to the high prevalence of malnutrition within aged care homes.

The lack of nutritious and appealing food on offer is a key contributor to inadequate food intake and must be addressed urgently.

For more information, download our full position statement.