‘Adventurous’ aged care food services

Victorian aged care provider, Southern Cross Care’s (SCC) approach to food services in its residential homes has won the organisation two national awards.

Announced at the 2013 Oscar Hospitality Aged Care Hospitality Awards, SCC (Vic) chef, Shane Hilliard, was named Chef of the Year, while a buffet dining program at the organisation’s Dandenong home saw it take out the Facility Catering Service of the Year category.

The organisation also won the Victorian Catering Innovation of the Year category for its Natural Food Fortification Program.

SCC (Vic) chief executive, Jan Horsnell, said the wins were an outstanding result for the organisation.

“Over the past two years we have made a range of significant changes to food services in our residential homes, in particular paying attention to food that is freshly prepared, healthy and as nutritious as possible. We believe food and nutrition is fundamental to improving and maintaining the wellbeing of residents, as well as being a core component in quality of life,” she says.

Mr Hilliard, who is chef at SCC (Vic)’s Newport home, was recognised for his adventurous approach to meal planning and pushing of the boundaries to improve the residents’ dining experience.

Keen to dispel the common myth that food presented in aged care homes was bland and unpalatable, instead Mr Hilliard believed residents had the right to eat food that looked and tasted great.

Mr Hilliard’s approach to meal planning includes offering residents a 24 hour food service and a say in what foods they want to eat.

A buffet meal service at SCC (Vic)’s Dandenong home has seen it win the Facility Catering Service of the Year category.

The buffet meal service aims to investigate ways in which residents could play a role in preparing their own breakfast.

What resulted was providing a buffet style breakfast for those residents who were capable of making their own. While buffet service may be common in the general hospitality industry, in residential aged care it is a rarity.