Providing nutrition and choice for your residents

SPONSORED – Nutrition and food quality have never been more critical with malnutrition in residential aged care reportedly on the rise. One study revealed the prevalence of malnutrition has jumped from 22% to 50%, while another indicated 8% of elderly clients receiving in-home care are malnourished.

There are a number of factors that impact nutrition in aged care, such as the rushed nature of mealtime where residents may not enjoy eating and skip meals, while staff may not be aware of the signs of malnutrition.

These concerns have led to renewed investments in food and nutrition by the Government and aged care providers who are intent on delivering the best possible outcomes for older Australians.

SPC Care, a division of the food manufacturer SPC, has entered the aged care market with the goal of supporting resident nutrition and decision-making at mealtime. 

“We fundamentally believe that eating well is a basic human right and our contribution to that is to maintain a laser focus on what we do best – a solutions-based approach towards the provision of nutritious food and innovative ways to support vulnerable populations regardless of the setting,” said SPC Care Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Luke Dillon.

“History indicates to us that with the volume of malnutrition, diagnosed or undiagnosed, I believe that having an Australian-owned Australian provenance farmgate-to-plate player, like SPC Care, is a wonderful and compelling story to our community.”

With a unique standing in the Australian psyche due to strong feelings of nostalgia, SPC Care wants to work alongside providers to support healthy ageing.

“There is a wonderful nostalgia story with SPC’s heritage, a huge amount of the aged population has grown up with SPC products and in the twilight years of their life,” said Mr Dillon.

“Aged care is a forever-changing landscape and it’s certainly challenging for providers and consumers to navigate. 

“But on the flip side, it also provides a great opportunity for variety and choices and the style of service delivery.”

Mr Dillon said there are positive signs of change within aged care as providers and food manufacturers step up to ensure the best quality ingredients and meals are presented to residents.

Recent improvements include a growing number of providers spending more than $10 per resident per day on meals, with the average spend nearing $15.

Mr Dillon reinforced the need to focus on taste and choice over price, as the quality of ingredients will always provide nutritional value to older people and prevent negative outcomes like malnutrition and falls.

“Prevention is better than the cure and an individual’s ability to choose their preferred food and consume it in their own time and even to receive it in the packaging befitting the way that they consume is incredibly important,” explained Mr Dillon.

“Our contribution to this is by creating a culture whereby carefully selecting staff who understand the challenges faced by older members of the community we have the ability to put the customer front and centre. 

“People feel confident to voice their preferences and receive the services and products that they want and need.”

Promoting choice and independence

Choice is a word you hear frequently at SPC Care – choice in meals, choice in access to products, and choice in consumption times.

Independent decision-making is evident through their two major brands for aged care and home care clients; the SPC ProVital range of accessible fruit snacks and The Good Meal Company’s pre-prepared meals.

Aged care residents who may otherwise be uncomfortable with bowls and plates that are hard to grasp due to a loss of motor control are catered to by the accessible ProVital fruit cups. 

These single-serve portions feature an octagonal container that’s easy to hold and simple to open. It’s been designed in line with Arthritis Australia’s guidelines and has received numerous national and international packaging design awards.

“Not only is there a highly visual, easy-to-peel film lid that enables people to consume the product with dignity without spilling it on themselves, but equally, the octagon cup from a texture perspective is very easy to grasp,” said Mr Dillon.

“By introducing our ProVital portion control cups the individual can have a cup allocated to them, and they can consume it as and when they like on their terms.

“The carer, the doctor and everyone in between know exactly how much has been consumed and when which enables greater transparency.”

Meanwhile, over 70 pre-prepared meals from The Good Meal Company provide personalisation and variety suiting the needs of people from different cultures or with different dietary requirements. 

This is not only helpful for a diverse population where 50% of the total population was born overseas or to parents born overseas, but also for an ageing population used to cooking a variety of meals and indulging in foreign cuisines.

“Gone are the days of one standard meal for one age demographic, now we need to cater to a whole raft of different cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs and dietary requirements,” said Mr Dillon. 

“Australia should be really looking at our ability to provide diverse meals as a superpower because of the enriched composition of our community.

“Catering to a diverse community keeps us on our toes when we have to develop new and innovative products for that demographic.”

With an eye on innovation, SPC Care is committed to making a change to meal quality in aged care in partnership with the sector and consumers. Decades of experience mean they have the knowledge and resources to provide quality products that meet the highest standards. 

“We’re aiming to contribute positively to food and nutrition and lead the way in doing so,” said Mr Dillon

For more information on SPC Care and its products, visit the SPC Care website.