The real cost of nutrition in care homes

"National newspapers were quick to run the headline that some care homes are spending as little as £2.27 per resident, per day, on food. What didn't feature quite so prominently in their reporting is that Sefton Council makes a weekly contribution of £389 towards the care of an older person, while the true cost to care homes is at least £483. That's a shortfall of almost £100 per week, per resident. A shocking figure but sadly, the reality facing UK care homes. What this means is that care homes have some very difficult decisions to make about how their money is spent. Food – and nutrition specifically - doesn't have to be the casualty. Labour spokesperson for Care and Older People, Liz Kendall, recently said that elderly people in care homes need "decent, nutritious food". But what does this mean in practice and how does a home deliver this with squeezed budgets? Add to the challenge that there is no clear definition for what is meant by "nutritious" food. While it can't be denied that there is a plethora of guidance available, the fact remains that it is only guidance, nothing more formal. The Care Quality Commission signposts the NACC as "the primary source of guidance on nutritional care in social care settings" but in addition, there is an enormous body of very detailed research available from a variety of different sources. This makes it incredibly difficult for care homes to decipher and really understand what is important. The upshot is a lack of consensus and critically, a lack of direction for care homes to navigate their way through the various guidance and research available. So, faced with a need to cut costs while continuing to provide nutritious food for their residents – despite unclear guidelines on how to do so – what's the solution for care homes? Balancing cost-efficiency with the provision of high quality, nutritious food, is not unachievable. apetito is working with more than 150 care homes, helping them to save money while making sure that residents are provided with meals that not only meet all NACC standards, but take into consideration any cultural influences, special dietary requirements, medical conditions and personal likes and dislikes. We also have a menu planning system - Nutriplan – which manages residents' needs and ensures the appropriate nutritional intake. Our Nutriplan system also satisfies nutritional standards and CQC guidance. What is evident is that cost-effective catering is more important now than ever before. Outsourcing should no longer be regarded as a last resort, but seen as an opportunity and a top priority for homes looking to make real savings without compromising the quality of nutrition and care."