Bolton Clarke Chef Channels Heston Blumenthal for Aged Care Residents

Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens Chef Manager, Loretta Reiken has successfully introduced moulded food options for residents on texture modified diets which are stunning residents, staff and families.

Many aged care residents, particularly people with dementia or disorders including Parkinson’s Disease, have trouble chewing and swallowing and require a minced or pureed food diet.

Loretta said about 20 per cent of her residents were on a texture modified diet, and this was expected to increase to about 60 per cent within the next five years.

“We need to push the limits with texture-modified food. We’ve been working on items including moulded fruit finger food, or “walking food”, for people with dementia, and things like moulded cherry tomatoes made from fresh tomatoes,” she said.

The Gold Coast team have expanded their texture modified range to morning teas and desserts, with spectacular results – new items include an Oreo-style cookie, a scone with jam and cream, finger-food fruit pieces, pizza and no-melt ice-cream.

“It’s been a long process to get the right textures and flavours, but it is always worth the effort if residents start enjoying their food and putting on more weight again,” she said.

“The challenge is to keep a wide variety of flavours and textures and to use different sauces and gravies to enhance the meal.”

Darlington Hotel Services Team Leader, Anna Lovasi said the initiative was helping restore dignity and choice to residents on texture modified diets.

“It’s about being able to offer them the best quality of food in a way that appeals to all the senses,” she said.

“The team can use the moulds to create texture-modified versions of our full menu, including bacon and eggs, sausages, meat and vegetables.

“Residents say the visual appeal has definitely increased their appetites and they are eating much more and getting more enjoyment from their meals.

“We also do little things like send individual pots of gravy to each resident with a texture-modified meal, giving them more choice in how much or how little they put on and increasing their independence and choice.

 “The moulded food is so convincing that one gentleman who feeds his wife a puree said he thought she had gone back to normal meals – that was a proud moment for us.”

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