Our commitment to quality food

Of late there has been some negative media around regarding quality of food in residential aged care in Australia. Hall & Prior are proud of our commitment to ensuring every resident receives healthy, quality, well presented and tasty food for every meal.

Throughout our 25 aged care homes, the quality of the food we serve is a key aspect of maintaining the health and wellbeing of those in our care.

The Hall & Prior Nutrition and Hydration Program has grown to become an integral part of our organisation since it was first established more than 14 years ago. Through this program, we continue our commitment to all aspects of nutrition, to minimise the effects of dysphagia and to comply with all regulatory instruments such as the Food Safety Act.

Our dietitians and chefs work closely with home kitchen teams to provide meals that support our residents’ clinical care without compromising on taste.

Led by Manager of Nutrition and Hydration Jo Flannery, our Dietitians Jessica Zilujko, Lori Crooks and Fiona McHugh (pictured above) regularly visit each home to monitor how the residents are eating and drinking. As part of their role, they review monthly weights and assess residents who have been referred, as well as provide education. They work alongside a team of Speech Pathologists and our multidisciplinary Resource Team to ensure the diets we provide are safe, nutritious and enjoyable.

Hall & Prior staff took part in workshops run by The Maggie Beer Foundation in 2017.

In 2017, we were proud to send several Hall & Prior staff members to a new educational program hosted by The Maggie Beer Foundation. Founded by renowned Australian cook and author Maggie Beer, the ‘Creating an Appetite for Life’ program was designed for cooks and chefs in the aged care industry. The three-day course aimed to provide a hands-on educational experience.

Maggie also hosted an additional program ‘Food for Thought Workshop’, specifically designed for management in the aged care industry only. This full-day event included information sessions on living beyond dementia, leadership for cultural change and building better health in aged care as well as food demos and team challenges.

Together, all of these aspects of our organisation-wide focus on tasty, nutritionally balanced food mean we are able to improve the quality of life for more than 1500 people in our 25 aged are homes.

To read more about about the meals we serve, and to see a sample menu, click here.