Centrim Life Aged Care Software – Equipped to Meet the New Australian Aged Care Standard 6 : Food and Nutrition

The Australian government recently proposed updates to Quality Standard 6 for aged care, with a sharper focus on food, nutrition, and creating a positive dining experience for residents.?

At the heart of these changes, it’s all about making mealtime better—more nutritious, personalised, and enjoyable for everyone. This means that aged care providers will need to step up their dining processes, from food selection and safety to monitoring residents’ nutritional intake.

Now, this is where Centrim Life residential aged care software shines. Built with the specific needs of aged care facility providers in mind, it helps facilities meet these new standards while enhancing the overall quality of life for residents. Let’s take a closer look at how Centrim Life can make a real difference in your facility.

What are the Proposed Changes to Quality Standard 6 in Aged Care?

The new Standard 6 recognizes that dining isn’t just about food; it’s about choice, social connection, and comfort.

Here are the six main areas where the updated Standard 6 guidelines want aged care facilities to focus:

• Enhanced Resident Meal Choice – Residents should have a say in what they eat, when they eat, and how their meals are served.
• Improved Dining Experience – Dining areas should be comfortable, social, and inviting, encouraging residents to engage with one another.
• Collaborative Menu Planning – Menus should be planned with input from residents and health professionals to match personal preferences and dietary needs better.
• Access to Snacks and Beverages – Nutritious snacks and water should be available outside of meal times, ensuring residents’ needs are met throughout the day.
• Strict Food Safety Adherence – Food safety and hygiene standards must be met and documented consistently.
• Regular Feedback and Review – Facilities should gather resident feedback on dining experiences to improve their services continually.

In most facilities, these changes may put additional pressure and workload on caregivers and aged care providers.

But Centrim Life’s aged care software can help your facility in Australia meet each requirement efficiently while making dining enjoyable and meaningful for residents.

How Centrim Life Supports Each Requirement in Quality Standard 6

1. Empowering Resident Choice with Online Meal Ordering

Centrim Life’s aged care dining management software is a digital ordering system that gives residents control over their meals. They can choose what to eat and when to eat it—all with the tap of a screen.

• Customisable Menus: Residents can view and select from a variety of meal options online, helping them feel in charge of their dining choices. Family members too have the option to place orders for their loved ones.
• Less Work for Staff: Meal orders are automated, reducing the workload for staff and minimising errors.
• Greater Satisfaction for Residents: Allowing residents to pick their own meals fosters a sense of independence. It boosts resident satisfaction and their overall dining experience.

Example in Action: An aged care facility in Melbourne reported fewer meal-order errors and higher resident satisfaction after implementing Centrim Life.

Residents enjoyed the ease of selecting meals that suited their tastes and dietary needs, all thanks to the user-friendly aged care catering software.

2. Streamlined Menu Planning and Nutrition Tracking

Balanced, nutritious meals are a core part of Standard 6, and Centrim Life software for aged care makes it easy for staff to plan meals that meet residents’ specific dietary needs.

• Personalised Meal Plans: Staff can customise meal options to meet dietary restrictions, allergies, or nutritional needs.
• Quick Menu Updates: Need to change the menu based on resident feedback or seasonal ingredients? Centrim Life lets you make updates easily.
• Compliance-Ready Nutrition Tracking: Track nutritional content and dietary intake for each resident, supporting compliance with Standard 6 requirements.

Why Nutrition Tracking Matters: With Centrim Life aged care management software, you can monitor each resident’s intake to help prevent malnutrition and ensure proper nutrition.

As health needs change, meal plans can be adjusted quickly to keep nutrition levels on point.

3. Real-Time Feedback Collection for Continuous Improvement

Feedback is essential to keeping residents happy with their meals, and Standard 6 emphasises the importance of gathering and acting on that feedback. Centrim Life’s aged care feedback management system makes this process easy.

• Instant Feedback: Residents and their families can provide real-time feedback, giving facilities immediate insight into resident satisfaction.
• Continuous Improvement: Quick responses to resident suggestions create a dining experience that’s centred around their needs and preferences.
• Transparency with Families: Families can also give input, ensuring dining meets the expectations of both residents and their loved ones. Plus, this feature helps facilities align with the recent legislative mandates on transparency.

Turning Feedback into Action: Facilities using Centrim Life’s feedback system can quickly identify areas for improvement. From meal quality to variety, continuous adjustments are based on real resident insights.

4. Automating Compliance Monitoring to Save Time and Reduce Errors

Adhering to updated food safety standards and documenting compliance is crucial under the new Standard 6. Centrim Life aged care dining software simplifies these tasks with automated compliance monitoring.

• Reduced Errors: Automated tracking minimises mistakes in meal service, ensuring compliance is accurate and consistent.
• Detailed Documentation: Dietary records, resident choices, and feedback are all documented in one place, making compliance audits a breeze.
• Actionable Insights: Data collected helps facilities make informed decisions to keep dining experiences top-notch.

Ease of Reporting: With Centrim Life’s automated reporting tools, you can generate detailed compliance reports that are easy to review and share with governing bodies. These reports also help identify areas for improvement and improve resident care.

5. Supporting Staff with Streamlined Workflows and Training

The enhanced Standard 6 calls for more personalized meal planning and compliance documentation, which can impact staff workflows. Centrim Life is here to help ease that load, allowing staff to focus more on resident care.

• Less Administrative Burden: By automating routine processes, Centrim Life frees up staff time for more direct resident interaction.
• Continuous Training: Built-in resources keep staff current on best practices in dietary care and food safety standards.
• Boost Morale: With less paperwork and fewer repetitive tasks, staff feel more satisfied, creating a supportive environment that directly benefits residents.

Impact on Care Quality: When staff are less bogged down with admin tasks, they can offer more personalised interactions with residents. This leads to a happier, more engaged atmosphere, where residents feel valued.

Centrim Life: Your Partner in Meeting the Enhanced Standard 6

The updates to Aged Care Quality Standard 6 are all about improving the food and dining experience for residents in aged care facilities. By supporting resident choice, ensuring nutrition, and making continuous improvements, this standard aims to enhance well-being and satisfaction. Centrim Life’s catering software for aged care is here to help you meet these enhanced requirements with ease.

From empowering residents to make their own meal choices to automating compliance and reducing staff workloads, Centrim Life is a robust solution for aged care facilities ready to embrace the new standards.

Interested in Learning More?

If your aged care is ready to simplify compliance and transform the dining experience for residents, schedule a demo with us! See how Centrim Life can transform your aged care’s food service operations, creating a resident-centred, compliant, and efficient dining service.

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