Uniting’s food and nutrition trial shows positive results

Food and nutrition in residential aged care has been keenly discussed in Australian media recently, with rising living costs, Maggie Beer's Big Mission and the Department of Health and Aged Care's dedicated Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline, all playing their part.

Uniting NSW.ACT teamed up with The Pure Food Co. to tackle the issues of nutrition and weight loss in their most vulnerable residents, with some promising results, running trials in a number of facilities.

The program has now been recognised as a finalist in the Inside Ageing Future of Ageing Awards, to be held next month in Sydney.

The trial was implemented in four Sydney Uniting homes and included 73 residents who were experiencing weight loss or difficulty swallowing. A new menu was introduced under the pilot, resulting in 72 percent of those consuming texture modified foods and 54 percent of those on nutritional smoothies gaining or maintaining their weight.

Uniting's head of seniors services Saviour Buhagiar said the company as a whole is committed to the ongoing improvement of nutritional outcomes for older Australians.

“Our local teams have been working hard in this space for several years, trialing and implementing different foods and preparation methods to cater for the many differing nutritional needs of our residents,” Mr Buhagiar said.

“The clinical results were so impressive we committed to rolling out both programs to another 45 of our aged care homes."

“The partnership with The Pure Food Co and the subsequent trial was a huge success from a nutritional point of view, with significant benefits for both mental health and physical well-being of older people," Mr Buhagiar said.

Other results of the trial included improved healing of wounds, as well as a more positive reception from residents around eating meals.

Although weight loss is common among older people, it is not a normal part of ageing. Contributing factors that may lead to weight loss and malnutrition in older people include dental issues, medication side effects, difficulty swallowing or decreased appetite.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission describes the physical consequences of poor nutrition for older people as "significant and often irreversible", but studies also show that mealtimes within residential aged care can be integral to the support of emotional well-being, personhood and independence.

In many cases, how contented residents are with their food is often reflected in their overall satisfaction with their facility.