Resthaven Marion Joins the Maggie Beer Mentor Program

Kitchen staff at Resthaven Marion have recently taken part in an intensive 5-day training session as part of the Maggie Beer Mentor Program. The training, which took place from 9-13 July, is the first step in the program which pairs aged care home kitchens with a qualified chef trainer to mentor the team to serve flavourful, nutritious food and deliver an enhanced dining experience for residents.

‘Resthaven Marion nominated for, and was chosen, to be one of the first aged care homes to take part in the program,’ Resthaven Executive Manager, Residential Services, Kelly Geister, says. ‘We are always looking at ways we can improve the experience of residents, and we are excited to learn new techniques to build the capabilities and skills of our kitchen staff.’

 
(L) Nikesh Poudel pours bechamel sauce into jugs; (R) Kunwar Santosh Relieving cook

The program includes support and advice on how to meet the draft dedicated food and nutrition Aged Care Quality Standard, which came into effect on 1 July.

Trainers from the Maggie Beer Foundation will stay in touch with Resthaven staff, checking in monthly to see how the improvements are going and to seek feedback from residents. Resthaven staff will also have access to the Foundation’s Professional Community, an online information and support forum for participating cooks, chefs and other staff. They will complete ongoing coursework between the monthly check-ins.

‘Across all Resthaven sites we seek ongoing feedback from residents regarding the menu,’ Kelly says. ‘We are committed to ensuring our food service is not only nutritiously sound, but also delicious.’

The information and insight gained by staff at Resthaven Marion will be shared across Resthaven’s other 11 aged care facilities.

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