Best and worst food in NT aged care homes revealed

Every aged care home in the territory has been rated on its food by residents. See the food score for your aged care home.

Nearly half of residents living at a Northern Territory aged care home never liked the food they were served, according to official data.

Terrace Gardens in Farrar, Palmerston, was given the lowest rating for food by its residents in the territory, with 47 per cent saying they never liked the meals.

Every aged care home in the country was given a food score after up to 20 per cent, or more than 37,000 aged care residents across Australia, were asked the question, ‘Do you like the food here?’ as part of an annual national survey undertaken by an independent team on behalf of the federal government.

The answers were collected last year, but only published in full last week.

Food at an aged care home in Adelaide.

Terrace Gardens was the lowest rated home with a food score of 2.2 out of four.

In contrast Juninga Centre, in the Darwin suburb of Nightcliff, was rated the highest by residents for its food, with a score of 3.28 out of four.

There 57 per cent always liked the food, and no-one said they never liked the food.

The residents’ experience survey results are important because they carry a 33 per cent weighting towards the overall Star Ratings score for each home.

A spokeswoman for Terrace Gardens said the survey included only a small sample of residents in May last year.

“The team works hard to ensure the food presented is appetising, nutritious and well presented, but understand that there are those who may not be satisfied with the meal choices provided,” the spokeswoman said.

She said it held food focus groups, internal surveys and multiple options are available for those who are unhappy with the offerings on the day.

Dr Cherie Hugo helps imrpove food in aged care homes. Photo: Kit Wise Harvey Norman Gold Coast Women of the Year 2020

Dietitian Dr Cherie Hugo from the Lantern Alliance goes into aged care homes to help improve the food experience.

She said sometimes it’s not about how much you spend, or how fancy it looks, but it’s about serving food people want or are familiar with and making the dining experience enjoyable. Having the TV on loud, or people being given their medication during their meal, can really ruin the moment.

In one facility she worked with, changes saw half of residents with long term malnutrition, reversed.

“Food is the foundation of most of the woes in aged care,” Dr Hugo said.

“We want more food in the bellies and less in the bin.”

Juniper in WA was rated the highest for its food in the country, with 100 per cent of residents, always likeing their meals. Juniper multi-skilled carer Maribel Palomar-Sarte with Juniper resident Diana Allen. Supplied

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission received around 750 food complaints via a hotline, its website or email, between late July and March 1, and in most cases providers addressed the identified problem without further action needed.

It’s not just in the territory where some homes need to improve the food experience.

A 68-year-old, in an aged care facility in Adelaide, said he spends $100 a week on Uber Eats because most of the food he is served is either processed or tinned.

“Vegetables have been usually boiled to the max and are tasteless and bland,” he said. “Any form of fruit salad is from a tin, never any kind of quality fresh fruit.”

He said the menu reads well, but it rarely matched the food delivered.

AND ONE OF THE BEST

Food is the hottest topic of conversation at this aged care home with “what’s on the menu” the most popular item on the agenda at the monthly residents’ consultation meeting.

“We know if we can get the food right, then we are going to get everything else right,” Katerina Kouris, manager of The Greek Community Home For The Aged said.

“We don’t have weight loss here, unless someone is unwell. People actually come in and gain weight.”

The yummy food at the Greek Community Home For The Aged in Sydney. Chef Panayiotis Giannakopoulos with resident Adele Koutsoukos (right). Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The cakes are popular at the Greek Community Home For The Aged in Sydney. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

She said the home caters for their residents’ tastes – and they want Greek food.

Chef Panayaiotis Giannakopoulos serves up dishes such as fish and horta vrasta and pork with lettuce and white egg lemon sauce – favourites with the centre’s 48 Greek residents.

Ms Kouris said the dining room is light and airy with a pretty outlook and a beautiful picture of Greece on the wall.

“It’s all very Greek and the aroma of the food in the dining room is always delicious,” she said.

The Sydney home was the 21st highest rated facility in the country. Seven out of 10 residents said they “always” liked the food, while the rest liked it “most of the time”.

BEST AND WORST RATED

NT’s highest to lowest

Scores are out of four

Juninga Centre, NIGHTCLIFF 3.28

Katherine Hostel, KATHERINE 3.16

Rocky Ridge, KATHERINE 2.97

Regis Tiwi, TIWI 2.86

Flynn Lodge, ALICE SPRINGS 2.81

Pearl Supported Care, FANNIE BAY 2.74

Old Timers, BRAITLING 2.69

Terrace Gardens, FARRAR 2.2

Originally published as Best and worst food in NT aged care homes revealed