Care home meals provider apetito has launched a free guide to care home catering as staff shortages and rising costs continue to impact the social care sector.
The guide looks at how care homes can take control of rising costs in the kitchen while maintaining high quality mealtimes.
It explores the latest advances in catering for residents living with dementia with input from Professor Jane Murphy of Bournemouth University about the importance of tailored solutions for dementia residents.
The guide also sets out how specialist dietary needs can be catered for on a consistent, stress-free basis.
“Importantly, the guide shows how to ensure that unpredictable staff shortages - due to illness or self-isolating - can be covered in ways that are easy and cost-effective whilst allowing homes to serve nutritious and tasty meals that residents will enjoy,” a spokeswoman said.
The guide also picks up the growing movement towards decarbonisation and gives advice on where to start, and how to measure a home’s current carbon footprint as well as how to set out targets before making commitments that are realistic and workable.
apetito’s general manager for care homes Richard Woodward said: “We know that care home providers are looking at ways they can maintain high quality mealtimes with delicious food that residents will really enjoy whilst reducing overheads.
“Our guide helps homes understand how they can do this whilst also updating them on the latest advances in catering for residents living with dementia and in many cases with dysphagia, as well as how to cater for special dietary requirements,” he added.
“It takes time for a home to design to nutritious, balanced menu and ensure it is cost effective and we have called on all our experience in this market to offer help and support which we hope will be useful”.
The care home catering guide can be downloaded here https://apetito.link/GET-YOUR-FREE-GUIDE-TO-CARE-HOME-CATERING.
