Providers and dietitians praise Act’s food focus

Aged care providers and nutrition experts across Australia are applauding the new Aged Care Act for its unprecedented focus on food and mealtime experiences for residents.

The Act now explicitly requires all residential aged care providers to have their food menus and mealtime experiences reviewed by an accredited practising dietitian at least once a year. This legislative backing ensures that expert nutritional guidance is embedded within daily care practices, moving beyond basic sustenance to embrace food as a key component of health, dignity, and quality of life.

Last week, Anglicare Southern Queensland, in a collaborative event with Dietitians Australia and Food Solutions, celebrated the new nutrition standards at its Symes Grove Residential Aged Care facility.

“The Aged Care Act is all about the importance of person-centred care, and we’re pleased to see food and nutrition now formally recognised as an integral part of older Australians’ wellbeing,” Anglicare SQ hospitality services manager Merton Tyson said.

“In aged care, meals are more than just nutrition. It’s comfort, dignity, routine and often the highlight of someone’s day.”

Symes Grove resident Betty Jean (BJ) said the food makes her “feel wonderful.”

“We are blessed with our kitchen staff and management. Everything on the menu is designed to suit us and we have a lot of say in what we need,” she said.

“I need taste. I need variety. I need something that looks good, makes you feel good and keeps you healthy.”

BJ highlighted the profound impact of being involved in creating menus during monthly food-focused meetings.

“We talk about what we like, what we didn’t like, and the kitchen will adjust. We are absolutely spoiled,” she said.

“It’s wonderful because we know that what is on the menu, we’ve had an input into it, but then we know that someone has looked at it scientifically and said, ‘That won't work because it doesn’t have enough protein’, or ‘That won’t work for this person because it’s too difficult to swallow.’”

Dietitians Australia president Fiona Willer described the Act as a “pivotal moment in history for Australian aged care.”

“We know many providers have already embraced the new Quality Standard 6 on Food and Nutrition in the lead up to this legislative change,” Dr Willer said.

“We look forward to seeing growing numbers of older Australians nourished and finding joy in every mealtime.”

The benefits of improved nutrition in aged care are far-reaching and are considered a direct health investment. Experts anticipate a significant reduction in malnutrition, dehydration, falls, pressure injuries, wounds, and unnecessary hospitalisations for residents.

“Weight loss and malnutrition should not be considered a normal part of ageing. These are health-related red flags that cannot be ignored,” Dr Willer said.

Good nutrition supports older people’s energy levels, strength, mobility, independence, memory, and thinking skills, significantly improving their overall quality of life.

For aged care providers, the new Act presents both a responsibility and an opportunity. The annual review by an accredited practising dietitian will involve a thorough assessment of menus, food preparation methods, and the overall mealtime environment.

Kylie Walton, Food Solutions lead food service dietitian, said she hopes the legislative change will lead to “a consistent improvement in resident satisfaction and enjoyment of their food.”

“There’s always going to be challenges ... but that person-centred approach and the resident choice is the paramount thing,” she said.

“Any kind of big food system is never going to be perfect ... but we need to make sure that we’re consistently able to provide the same level of care each time a meal’s produced, and [are] really getting to understand what resident preferences are, particularly if they have cognitive deficits.”

Ms Walton highlighted that as a new generation of Australians enter aged care, providers have a chance to continue to learn and evolve.

“From now and into the future, opinions and expectations around food could be quite different from the generations before,” she said.

“The impact of good nutrition on our mental health is starting to become much more obvious ... so if we can help improve residents’ physical and mental quality of life, that’s a positive for the whole facility and how it operates.”