“Nutrition Matters” News

Catering for Special Diets at Christmas

Food is important throughout the year, but it tends to be one of the main focuses at Christmas time and everyone looks forward to the Christmas meal. Many residents will be enjoying glazed ham or turkey with gravy, roast vegetables and Christmas pudding. However, there will be a number of residents in your homes who require special diets. Depending on the type of allergy, intolerance, cultural requirements, some residents may not be able to enjoy the typical Christmas meal. Read more »

Vegetarian and Vegan Diets In Aged Care – Getting Enough Protein and Energy

There is a slow but steady rise in Australia with 1 in 10 people choosing to follow a vegetarian diet (1). This is likely to follow-on within aged care. A typical vegetarian diet consists of plant-based foods without eating animal products such as meat, poultry and seafood. A vegan diet also excludes eggs and dairy. It is important to respect an individual’s religious, cultural, personal, health-related, environmental or ethical reasons to avoid eating animal foods.
What is a Vegetarian Diet? Read more »

Curbing the Myths Around Colostomies and Diets

Nutrition Matters October 2019
The management of Stomas and Colostomies can be quite daunting for both staff and residents in aged care homes. Many dietitians find that there is a lot of confusion with special diets and colostomy’s.
What is it and why do some people have it?
A colostomy is an opening in the belly that connects to part of the large bowel (colon). The opening (called a stoma) is made during surgery. Part of the colon is brought through this opening and is attached to the skin on the belly. Read more »

Consumer Directed Care in Menus and Mealtimes

September 2019
Imagine you have gone from cooking what you like and eating at a time you want to eat, to having meals presented where there may be little or no choice, the mealtimes regimented and the consideration to your likes or dislikes non-existent. This is the harsh reality for many residents in our aged care homes.
Mealtimes should remain as a pleasure, an event to look forward to. Perhaps the food tastes nice, but you really have a yearning for something else. Read more »

Easy Ideas for Fortifying Your Aged Care Menu

How well do you think your current menu is able to provide adequate nutrition and hydration? Particularly for those clients with poor appetites and who eat only small meals?
Increasing energy and protein content of meals, also known as food fortification, can improve nutrition without increasing the amount of food. This can assist with maintaining weight while providing opportunity for greater nutritional intake for elderly clients with poor appetites. Some of our facilities have reported improved weights and less money spent on nutritional supplements by making simple fortifications to their menu. Read more »

Nutrition Management & Unannounced Agency Visits

Nutrition Matters Newsletter June 2019
Be Confident in your Nutrition Management with an Unannounced Agency Visit.
We are now almost 12 months down the track after the change to unannounced visits, and nutrition continues to be a strong focus of many accreditation visits.
Nutrition management within an aged care home covers a wide range of areas and involves all staff. It can be daunting to figure out where to start in reviewing your nutrition management. Below we outline a few key areas that are crucial to ensuring your home is providing high quality nutrition & Read more »

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