An Albanese Labor Government will join forces with leading Australian cook Maggie Beer to ensure aged care residents get the healthy and high-quality meals they need and deserve.
Labor will work with the aged care sector and other stakeholders to develop and implement standards for aged care homes to ensure every resident receives sufficient, tasty, nutritious and safe food which respects cultural, religious and dietary requirements.
These standards will be supported by workable guidelines, education programs and easy compliance which will not burden aged care providers with time consuming administrative functions.
An Albanese Labor government will work with the Maggie Beer Foundation, its Alliance partners and other stakeholders – all of whom have already done great work promoting the importance of good food in aged care. This will include funding the development of training and education for key staff to ensure every aged care resident gets the nutritious and flavoursome food they need and deserve.
Labor will also implement mandatory reporting rules to make sure the Basic Daily Fee paid to providers is used for care and nutrition. Public reporting of expenditure on care, nutrition, food and kitchen staff will be required.
Labor will invest $5 million – through the Maggie Beer Foundation – to enable a proper focus on food in aged care, including the development of new standards, supporting guidelines to facilitate their implementation and new education and training programs to support the sector to keep raising the bar on aged care food for each and every resident.