At the Foundation we are committed to furthering industry knowledge around food, and the dining experience in aged care to positively impact the wellbeing and quality of life of older Australians.
We are working hard to drive the advancement of scientific knowledge in this area, and support the production of practical, real-world guides, principles and procedures to enhance the lives of some of our most vulnerable members of society.
Please contact us if you have projects that aligns with these objectives.
Maggie Beer's Big Mission: University of Tasmania Research Paper
Food, nutrition and the dining experience in aged care settings: Findings of a nationwide survey
A nationwide survey of Australian aged care homes reveals key insights into food service and mealtime practices, covering meal variety, staff training, and dining environments. Representing 43% of homes, the study highlights areas for improvement to enhance nutrition and quality-of-life for residents.
Authored by: Maddison L. Mellow, Natalie Luscombe-Marsh, Pennie J. Taylor, Peter Kenny, Kurt Lushington
National Congress Findings Report 2021
The Maggie Beer Foundation and the Department of Health teamed up to conduct a 2-day National Congress re-imagining the future of food, nutrition and the dining experience in Australian aged care.
Wellbeing Gardens Program
In 2017 we were able to provide grants to aged care homes to support them in implementing or improving existing Wellbeing Gardens. Each home embraced the opportunity, involving residents, staff, and in some cases, local TAFE students in the design and building of these spaces.
We hope to be able to provide further funding to support this initiative in the future.
Redesigning Dining in Aged Care
In 2018, we worked with Match Studio at the University of South Australia to investigate and develop a toolkit that supports aged care homes in South Australia to improve the quality of their dining experience for residents. Guided by Maggie’s mission, ‘Essence’ highlights simple, cost effective opportunities that address dining spaces, tips for stimulating all of one’s senses, and tools to support staff to identify what will work in their home.