Meals on Wheels steps in as community providers carry new meal compliance burden

Meals on Wheels NSW has launched a new in-house dietitian program to support its 130 local services as they navigate increasing compliance requirements under aged care reforms.

The initiative is designed to help community-based providers meet new meal standards without placing additional financial strain on already stretched services.

It comes at a time when Meals on Wheels organisations are facing growing operational and regulatory complexity, including requirements for detailed dietetic reviews of menus and recipes.

The move also highlights what sector leaders say is an uneven playing field.

While residential aged care providers have received government-funded dietetic support through the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, community-based services have been excluded. Requests from Meals on Wheels NSW to access the same support were deemed out of scope, leaving local providers to absorb the cost of compliance.

Developed in response to member feedback at the 2026 Futures Lab Roundtable, the program has moved from concept to implementation in just four weeks.

To ease the burden on local services, Meals on Wheels NSW will provide:

• one free dietitian-led menu review for every member service
• a growing in-house dietitian team
• clinical oversight from Lead Dietitian and Board Director Sharon Lawrence (APD)
• a prioritised rollout focused on production kitchens and higher-risk services

“Our members told us clearly, they needed expert support to meet new requirements without diverting funds away from the people they serve. This investment is about protecting the sustainability of local services. Compliance should not come at the expense of care,” said Carolyn McColl, Chairperson, Meals on Wheels NSW.

“There is a clear imbalance in how these reforms are being experienced across the sector. Residential aged care providers were supported with funded dietetic programs, while community-based services were left out of scope, yet are still expected to meet the same requirements.

As the peak body, we could not stand by and watch our members carry that burden alone. Our newly launched Dietitian program is about stepping in where support is missing and ensuring that local Meals on Wheels services are not disadvantaged by the system they operate within,” said Claudia Odello, CEO, Meals on Wheels NSW.

Lead Dietitian Sharon Lawrence said the program would strengthen both compliance and quality outcomes across the network.

“These reviews are not just about meeting requirements, they are about ensuring meals are safe, nutritionally appropriate, and consistent across Meals on Wheels services. Our role is to make this process practical and achievable, translating complex guidelines into clear, usable advice that supports services on the ground,” she said.

Following the initial free review, Meals on Wheels NSW will continue to support members through a cost-effective fee-for-service model, helping services maintain compliance as requirements evolve.

The initiative forms part of the organisation’s broader response to sector reform, combining advocacy, tools, resources and direct service support to help community providers adapt to change.