The Welsh Government is seeking people’s views on new food and nutrition guidelines for older people’s care homes in Wales.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
The Food and Nutrition for Older People Care Homes - Best Practice Guidance’ has today been launched for consultation by the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services Julie Morgan.
The 12 week consultation will focus on the content and proposed design of the best practice guidance, produced for all regulated providers of care home services for older people across Wales. This guidance has been developed with input from care home providers, health care professionals, stakeholders and Care Inspectorate Wales.
The Deputy Minister announced the consultation during a visit to Swn y Mor Care Home in Aberavon, Port Talbot.
The guidance will cover a number of topics to support care homes including, food standards, guidelines and menu planning, eating and drinking well with dementia, texture modified diets and assessing and monitoring residents dietary needs.
The Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, Julie Morgan, said:
“As we get older it is important to continue to eat a balanced nutritious diet to maintain health and wellbeing. With increasing age, various factors can affect our food and drink intake.
The guidance will support a one Wales approach to the quality of the food served in older people care homes across the nation. The final guidelines will be supported by a full range of menu plans and recipe ideas to assist care providers.”
Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething said:
“We are committed to ensuring all health and care settings provide supportive and caring environments where people can choose and enjoy nutritious food to contribute to their overall wellbeing. The guidance aims to support care homes to provide food and drink to meet the range of nutritional needs of their residents. I would encourage people to give their views and opinions in this consultation which one day may well affect them or a loved one.”
The guidance is supported by the Care Inspectorate Wales who oversee the inspection of older people care homes in Wales.
The guidance will now be tested by the wider sector including care home staff and families, dietitians, inspectors and most importantly with residents to gather feedback.
The consultation will run until 11th October 2019.