Sophia Cornelius, development dietitian at apetito, discusses the importance of providing a safe and enjoyable mealtime provision for residents living with dysphagia
Swallowing difficulties, also known as dysphagia, are a common condition within a care setting due to the wide range of conditions that can proceed it and the increased likelihood of these developing with age. It is estimated that up to 70 per cent of care home residents live with the condition.
Dysphagia is managed through the modification of foods and fluids, the aim of which is for food to require less or no chewing to get the food to a safe texture. Therefore, it is important for homes to have a suitable dining provision available for those needing a texture modified diet with meals that are tasty, nutritious and, importantly, safe for them to eat.
When choosing the most suitable provision of texture modified meals, elements such as safety and assurance, choice and variety, cost and nutritional value all need to all be considered.
If these are factors are not taken into consideration and food presentation and f lavours are poor then residents may be deterred from eating a full portion, which risks a lack of nutritional intake and developing malnutrition.
We all know the phrase ‘we eat with our eyes’ to be true, and this is even more important for those living with dysphagia. When serving a texture modified meal, visual appearance plays an essential role in meal enjoyment and alleviating possible feelings of embarrassment, encouraging residents to eat everything on their plate.
Eating is also a social activity, and the enjoyment of food is enhanced by sharing it with others. Providing well-presented texture modified meals can help residents to dine with dignity and enjoy their mealtimes with other residents, or friends and family that may be visiting.
Similarly, having ample choice and variety for residents requiring a specialist diet helps to reduce the risk of menu fatigue and allows them to still enjoy all their favourite flavours and not feel to be ‘missing out’ compared to what others may be eating.
At apetito, creating food that both tastes great and provides good nutrition for residents has been our mission from day one. Whatever an individual’s dietary needs, ethnic preference, or taste, it is about offering them something good to eat
New innovations for world-leading range
Expanding on an already extensive range of world-leading specialist nutrition meals, apetito has launched a new and improved range of Level 4 Purée dishes designed to bring joy and dignity back to mealtimes for residents with dysphagia.
Maia Fergus-O’Grady, dietitian and senior category executive for specialist nutrition at apetito:
“After listening closely to customer feedback and preferences, we have made some significant changes to our Purée range to greatly improve our offering for residents. One key refinement has been bringing all our Puréed dishes into the smaller ‘Purée Petite’ portion size that are still packed full of flavour and meet the BDA guidelines for ‘Energy Dense’.
“We understand that this smaller portion size is much more manageable for those living with dysphagia and ensures those with smaller appetites are receiving sufficient calories and protein – nutrients which are crucially important as we age.
“We know how important mealtimes are for residents in care homes, and so further enhancing the dining experience has been a key focus for us. We have taken the step of incorporating many more puréed sauces and gravies into the range to elevate the flavours across our texture-modified meals and allow those living with dysphagia to enjoy all the dishes they love in a safe texture.
“In addition to this, we have introduced an array of brand-new side dishes to some of the meals, including sweetcorn and green beans, that are typically considered ‘higher risk’ and difficult to blend at home. We are extremely proud to be making these vegetables accessible to those living with dysphagia and expanding on the variety offered within our range.
“Another important update is improving the allergens within the meals by making several of our Purée dishes gluten-free. Eleven of these are now made without all 14 recognised allergens* and many more are made without milk and soya. This gives wider choice for residents living with special dietary requirements and helps homes provide more options to avoid menu fatigue.
“We are confident that our improved range of Purée meals will allow care homes to provide safe and even more varied meals to residents living with dysphagia.”
As part of this range regeneration, apetito have introduced five brand-new Purée meals into its Level 4 range, including a Purée Chicken Korma, Purée Fish Pie, Purée Bean Chilli and two potato-topped pies, Purée Cottage Pie, and Purée Shepherd’s Pie. This launch also sees 12 revamped Purée meals, with improvements that mark an exciting evolution for the world-leading range that is created in line with IDDSI guidance.
Get in touch!
apetito offers a world-leading texture modified solution that could help your care home to meet residents’ complex dietary needs. Find out more at apetito.link/carehomes
If you are a smaller, >30-bed care home, you can now benefit from this specialist nutrition offering without committing to the apetito full-service through Wiltshire Farm Foods Professional. Find out more at www.wffpro.co.uk
*Please note that ‘Made Without’ does not mean ‘Free From’. Made without means that the identified ingredient is not part of the recipe, but very small amounts could be present. The intended purpose is to enable the avoidance of an ingredient disliked due to its taste or texture. Food ‘Made Without’ an ingredient may not be suitable for someone living with food hypersensitivity.
Sophia Cornelius
Sophia Cornelius is a registered dietitian for leading care home meals provider apetito | Wiltshire Farm Foods. Sophia is a member of the BDA with several years’ clinical experience in a variety of settings including acute and community dietetics, and working across a range of specialties including renal and care of the elderly
