Is That The Dining Room?

Standard 5, Aged Care Quality Standards refers to the safety and comfort of the organisations service environment.

Over the years, we have seen the mealtime experience slowly improve in a number of homes, but we still have a long way to go.  Some of the dining rooms are nothing more than a activity room with residents sitting around the perimeter of the room with meals on overway trays.  Others have a wonderful environment that is warm, welcoming and oozes the scent of a delicious meal.

We know we enjoy a meal more and are likely to eat more when we are sitting with friends and family.  If a resident confines themselves to their room for all their meals this should send some alarm bells and needs to be monitored more closely.

When serving the resident's meal, have a critical look at the dining room.  Would you or your loved one like to eat every meal in this environment?  Or would you prefer to move away and eat in your room every day?

If you would like to find out what easy things you can do, contact me any time.