News

July 2024 Update While the series has only recently been broadcast, it has been 12 months from the start of the project and 6 months since the cameras left us. Therefore, we have now spent as much time without specialist advisors by our side as we did during the project. So where are we now? Menu changes When it came to the menu, the aim of the project was to implement more protein per serving, which was achieved through modification of existing recipes and incorporating a few new recipes. ... Read More

New Aged Care Standards The key recommendation from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was the drafting of a new Aged Care Act. Within the new Act there would be new strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards which puts the individual’s rights foremost. The new Quality Standards have been developed and were in final draft form in November 2022, but as a delay to the new Aged Care Act was necessary due to several reasons, unfortunately the new Quality Standards will not bec... Read More

Dysphagia and Texture Modification One of the most important elements of cooking in aged care is to meet the needs of those residents affected by dysphagia (swallowing difficulty), as they may need the texture of their food and drinks modified. There are 5 different textures of food and 5 different fluid textures. Further information about the different textures can be found by clicking here.Having different textures means that not all food is ready once it is cooked – it needs to be fu... Read More

Malnourishment Risk  One of the key drivers for the project that Maggie Beer mentions is the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety which highlighted that 68% of residents in aged care facilities were at risk of malnutrition or are malnourished. This figure was based on data from 2014 in a study that examined 215 ambulant residents across several aged care facilities in Melbourne. It should be noted that outside Australia, a Swedish study published in 2015 followed 318 aged ... Read More

Wendy and Jim's Story ~Wendy and Jim have been happily married for 62 years.Wendy was Jim’s primary caregiver when Parkinson’s Disease impacted his ability to manage everyday life.They were thrown a curveball last year when Wendy was diagnosed with breast cancer which meant she was no longer able to care for Jim.  She also started suffering with arthritis in her right hand which affected her dexterity.Wendy and Jim’s children recognized the need for assistance and or... Read More

For elderly people requiring assistance with day-to-day living, aged care homes have many advantages over other types of care.We asked some of our residents to tell us the best parts of life in aged care and they came up with a comprehensive list.Security/SafetyOlder people are often vulnerable in their own homes particularly when they are forgetful and may forget to lock a door or close a window. It leaves them open to the possibility of a break-in. Aged care homes have high... Read More

Imagine starting a new role, which includes infection control and finding yourself in the midst of a pandemic - that’s exactly what happened to Meath Care Senior Clinician, Lisa Pham.Lisa graduated from Edith Cowan University in 2014 with a degree in Health Science, Nursing and joined Osborne Park hospital as part of their graduate programme.It was a great learning environment where she worked in various departments including rehabilitation, looking after those recovering from ... Read More