We were very proud to welcome 30 CEOs and managers working in aged care homes across the country to our ‘Food For Thought’ CEO Workshop on 23 August 2017, at Sprout Cooking School in Adelaide.
Following on from the Creating An Appetite For Life Program, dedicated to chefs and cooks, Maggie’s focus shifted from those creating the food for change, to those in decision making roles to best streamline ideas into action. The workshop was dedicated to opening a dialogue with CEOs, troubleshooting the issues that may be hampering positive food experiences in aged care homes.
Maggie began the workshop by introducing how the Foundation came to be and then asked the assembled room to identify what they would change about their aged care homes. Not surprisingly, food came out as a hot topic. You can read the responses here
Guests then heard from a variety of speakers including:
Kate Swaffer – Dementia Alliance International
- Spoke about her experience of living with dementia
- Identified that skills get lost more quickly if they are not used
- Promote independence, not dependence
Associate Professor Lee-Fay Low – University of Sydney
- Identified that different leadership styles suit difference situations
- Discussed how food culture is changing in aged care homes
- CEOs need to identify the challenges and implement a change plan
Dr Tim Henwood – Community Wellness and Lifestyle at Southern Cross Care
- You are never too old to begin progressive and weight bearing exercise
- Exercise proven to reduce falls risk, as well as physical and mental symptoms of disease
- Evidence that the amount of protein required increases with age, as well as disability, disease and participation in exercise
Professor Wendy Lacey – UniSA
- Discussed how there is currently no international convention on rights of older persons but the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 states ‘everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and wellbeing of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care’
- CEOs need to be aware that food and nutrition will become more tightly regulated, following the current parliamentary review into Accreditation Processes
Jane Mussared – Chief Executive at COTA SA
- In 2016, 17% of the population was aged 65 and older, by 2042, that will have increased to 25%
- The current generation of elderly have greater expectations, they are a more diverse group and are more educated
- CEOs will need to consider these changes to make their aged care homes attractive for potential residents
Peter Morgan-Jones – Executive Chef at HammondCare
- Peter discussed the importance of engaging all senses as we eat, and to do the same when providing food for residents in our care.
CEOs and managers also got their hands dirty during the Mystery Box Challenge (refer to image of Allen Candy – CEO of Life Care, and Maggie!). The aim of the challenge was for guests to experience just how difficult it is to produce a meal for a resident in aged care.
Overall a very rewarding, inspiring and thought-provoking workshop for all who attended.