It was in June this year that the Food Services and Older People Specialist Groups of the British Dietetic Association (BDA) launched the Care Home Digest, in collaboration with the National Association of Care Catering (NACC). In my opinion it is a really significant step forward for the care sector.
In my role as vice-chair of the BDA’s Food Services Specialist Group, and through my day job experience as healthcare and food service dietitian for White Oaks at Compass Group UK & Ireland, I had the honour of leading on this work.
We have been discussing the need for nutrition and hydration guidelines for the care sector for a number of years and finally formed the working group back in January 2023 to start writing them. Since then we have spent the last year working on the chapters, an exercise that has created a lot of discussion about the different topic areas and the various issues that have had to be addressed.
There has been a Nutrition & Hydration Digest for hospital food since 2012, with updated editions being published every few years. This Digest for hospital settings is a set of guiding principles, that is now part of the National Standards for Food and Drink in Healthcare and I believe it has helped to offer guidance and standards for hospital catering – enhancing progress.
This Care Home Digest is the first of its kind, providing menu planning and food service guidelines to support care homes, to provide high quality food and drink services for residents.
Chapters in the Digest include nutrition and hydration needs, delivering a positive mealtime experience, menu planning and design and catering for special diets.
The information and checklists within the guidelines are intended to support care homes to review their services; to understand what they are already doing well and where improvements could be considered and made.
The Digest covers the importance of choice, in terms of what residents are eating, their portion sizes and how care homes can work to review and enhance meal services. We recognise the need for balance between great taste and good nutrition, so that residents want to eat the food which is good for them.
What is key, is to understand each resident’s requirements and to work alongside other professionals within the care home setting to ensure that residents receive, eat and enjoy a meal that is right for them. This communication between teams is imperative to meeting high standards of care.
It’s really important we acknowledge that there are varying standards and services being offered and there is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach – it must be tailored to each care home and its residents.
We all know that the overall food and dining experience can have a huge impact on quality of life for residents in care homes, and is often one of the highlights of the daily routine.
Malnutrition, dehydration and other nutrition-related health concerns, which often impact those living in care homes, also mean that providing appropriate and appetising meals that meet nutritional requirements can be more challenging.
With many care homes unable to access a food service dietitian service, the Care Home Digest supports them with the information to plan nutritionally-balanced and appropriate menus that meet both the nutritional needs and preferences of their residents.
I believe that having a clear set of standards and guidelines will create better consistency and clarity in the approach for eating and drinking in care homes.
Managers, nurses, care staff and caterers will better understand what they should be providing as part of their overall food service, and this has to be a good thing for the residents we are looking after.
I was so pleased to see this important piece of work launched. It provides expert knowledge and support for professionals working in the sector.
I hope the guidance will be the ‘go to’ resource for care home teams to support them to understand what their food services and menus should include and create a great mealtime experience for their residents.
Food can enable residents to express who they are and what is important to them, and food service can enable residents to connect with each other as well as with carers and family members. It is often during religious and culturally significant days that the central role and importance of food to who we are as people can be seen most clearly.
Food has so many important benefits and the recognition of this continues to grow. I am very proud to be part of the working group and to shine a light on this important issue.
Helen Ream profile
Helen Ream has been a dietitian for 30 years, working in the NHS for more than 20 years and with White Oaks since 2015. During her time with the White Oaks team, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland’s healthcare sector, she has worked closely with care home and hospital teams to support and enhance the nutritional care provided through food services.
She is currently vice chair of the Food Services Specialist Group of the British Dietetic Association, having previously chaired this group, and operates as the lead on projects that influence national dietetic practice related to food services in healthcare.