allmanhall summarise the Care Home Digest
Published: 2nd September 2024
This summer the much anticipated - and very much needed - Care Home Digest was launched. Before then, no national food service standards existed to support care homes in meeting residents’ nutritional needs.
As part of their fully supported food procurement solution, allmanhall offer nutrition and dietetics (N&D) consultancy, with an established and renowned N&D provision.
allmanhall’s Dietitian, Tess Warnes, was invited to the launch and then summarised the Digest with some practical advice about how to best use it. Here she shares this with you…
Tess explains: “The Digest is set up into four chapters, each covering a key area. It includes check lists on mealtime service and menu assessment, helping homes benchmark where they are at a given time, and to identify areas requiring work as the guidelines are intended to be used as a tool kit, supporting homes to make changes over time.
- Chapter 1. Nutrition and hydration needs, screening for malnutrition and care planning
- Chapter 2. Delivering positive mealtime experience
- Chapter 3. Menu Planning and design
- Chapter 4. Special Diets
Key points:
- There is no point having a nutritionally balanced menu if it doesn’t get eaten!
- Residents’ preferences and choice are therefore key
- Step back, observe and review to help identify areas to collectively improve upon
- The ideas and changes don’t need to be implemented all at once – this is about a journey of improvement
- The check lists provided are to be used as a starting point for these improvements
- The Digest definitely doesn’t promote a one size fits all approach – each home is different, and the catering must be tailored to each and to the specific residents’ needs and preferences.”
For the full Care home Digest, visit: https://www.bda.uk.com/practice-and-education/nutrition-and-dietetic-practice/care-home-digest.html
Tess Warnes, Dietitian, allmanhall
Tess designs and delivers training sessions on nutrition, hydration, malnutrition and allergen management, as well as accredited training sessions with the Royal Society of Public Health.
She leads allmanhall’s dietetics activity and holds a BSc (Hons) in Nutrition and Dietetics. As a registered dietitian with the HCPC (Reg. No. DT14670) and a member of the British Dietetic Association Older People Specialist Group, she is well qualified to support clients with nutritional requirements and national standards.
She has been invited to deliver a workshop at the NACC TDF on sustainable and nutritious diets and hopes to see you there!
Find out more about allmanhall’s support and how this could help your care home and
residents: https://allmanhall.co.uk/
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