Innovation, care and quality. This is what the aged care sector strives for to ensure every resident or home care client receives the best possible care.
Yet real-world problems and obstacles are preventing that from occurring. Research shows roughly 50% of older Australians in aged care and the community are at risk of malnutrition or are already malnourished. Some studies put that figure at closer to 70%.
Food quality has been a persistent concern in residential aged care, with the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety revealing that aged care providers were allocating merely $6 per resident per day on food.
In response, the previous Government introduced a $10 per day Basic Daily Fee supplement, which has evolved into the Hotelling supplement. This is currently set at $11.24.
Appropriate nutrition and hydration are critical to the health of all older people. Serving flavourful food that is both visually and texturally appealing is something aged care homes often struggle with when faced with texture modified diets.
This is not a recipe for success, explains The Pure Food Co Director – Australia, Chris Deed.
“Delivering consistent quality, safety and nutrition for texture modified meals presents a real challenge at scale,” he said.
“The consumer requires this at every meal occasion and the risks are difficult to mitigate when there is variability in staff capability, training, equipment, and ingredients.”
The Pure Food Co is a market leader in food innovation and nutrition technology, borne out of personal experience. In 2013, Co-Founder Sam Bridgewater saw first-hand how illness can impact appetite and health as his stepdad turned down essential meals because they simply weren’t appealing. This left him with little energy and prolonged his recovery.
This is a familiar scene in residential care and hospitals where illnesses, swallowing difficulties and cognitive decline are some of the contributing factors to older people not wanting to eat. In total, one-third of residents in aged care facilities are thought to be on texture modified diets, from soft meals to minced or pureed options.
Preparing appealing meals that are nutritious and have consistently safe textures is an essential part of reducing the risk of malnutrition. And through the work of The Pure Food Co, led by Sam and his fellow Co-Founder, Maia Royal, aged care is turning the tide against malnutrition.
International recognition is the icing on the cake
In this industry, we don’t operate to win awards; we just want to deliver the best possible outcomes for older people, whether that’s through personal care, meaningful experiences or a nutritious dinner. And yet when you excel at that specific task and bring something new to the table, recognition and reward follow.
As we age, there are plenty of obstacles to maintaining a balanced and healthy diet, including being provided meals that are not nutritious enough. Incorrect portion sizes also have a negative impact with many aged care residents consuming 15-20 grams less protein than they actually need.
The Pure Food Co’s range of nutritious, IDDSI-compliant meals, snacks and smoothies have been developed by chefs to specifically target those nutritional value gaps.
Every colourful meal offers 41% more protein and 60% more energy than comparable meals. As a result, weight loss in residents who receive their meals decreased by 38%, falls reduced by 27% and wound care outcomes improved.
Results like this highlight how data informs everything The Pure Food Co does. There is no guessing game when food is pureed as essential ingredients and nutrients, all from natural sources, are added to the texture modified foods to ensure nutritional value is there.
By raising the bar for food and nutrition, The Pure Food Co was recognised by the Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards in Singapore where they won the Innovation of the Year – Food and Nutrition category in May.
They were recognised for their Innovation Nutrition System for Better Ageing which produces texture modified food with consistently safe textures, appropriate nutritious value and flavours that residents love.
Pre-packaged frozen portions can be delivered at scale, saving aged care chefs precious time that can instead be dedicated to resident engagement. There’s also wrap-around support to ensure providers aren’t just receiving meals with no education or training on how to craft a nutritious and memorable dining experience.
This means residents get more protein and energy in every meal and providers have increased kitchen efficiency, less food wastage and cost-effective meals.
A commitment to education
It won’t be okay to be ‘good enough’; aged care providers likely need to exceed current expectations to meet the new standalone Food and Nutrition Standard. Luckily no one has to tackle this task alone.
“To support our customers and the ones they care for, we provide not only the highest quality texture modified foods, but work with their teams to ensure that end to end our system is implemented and those that directly interact with residents and their families have the knowledge they require,” Mr Deed added.
The Pure Food Co offers wrap-around support for Australian aged care providers. They have a growing team of local experts in every state to support aged care kitchens, and their industry knowledge can also be used to design menus, improve kitchen operations and reduce food waste.
The Pure Food Co’s Learning Hub offers a variety of tools and courses to help aged care chefs, kitchen staff and care staff progress to the next level with texture modified foods and IDDSI framework
Commercially prepared texture modified food from The Pure Food Co ensures compliant meals are coming out of your kitchen. Full traceability of ingredients simplifies compliance reporting. Recipes crafted by experienced chefs ensure all meals are nutritious and have consistently safe textures residents enjoy.
Again, this quality support gives your staff more time to focus on the things that matter, such as education and training, meal presentation, resident engagement and a positive dining experience.
Find out how The Pure Food Co can help enhance your food, nutrition and dining experiences by visiting thepurefoodco.com or calling 1300 942 242.
