I witnessed so many people who suffered dementia, laid back in chairs almost flat on their backs. Whilst the career shovelled smelly horrible food into their mouths, often speaking to another career in a different language. if they tried to spit it out, the food was rolled back onto the spoon and rammed back in to their mouth. Could you imagine what them poor souls went through. Dearest Maggie please give some time and thought to feed our most vulnerable humans. So many pass away with Aspiration pneumonia due to having food rammed down there through. Where my husband was at dinner was served at 4.30 pm and in bed by 5.30pm. No time to digest their food.
My elderly relatives always mentioned cold half cups of tea. In reality, they only received half a small cup. Thank goodness Maggie Beer is assisting with getting more palatable food for our elderly.
Well done Maggie. I’ve seen and heard terrible things about what people are served in aged care. It’s disgusting. These places take so much money from our elderly people, and give so little care and compassion in return. Temperature of food, quality of food and food choice is appalling. They deserve so much better!
on cold plates! what a disappointment💔our elders, who will be us all one day, deserve better. These are private businesses, maxing profit. Prove to me more than one machine was purchased in the whole of Australia 🇦🇺and if purchased it won't be turned on as that's a running cost 😢
I'm wondering if this new trolley will continue to be used when the filming is over. No doubt, the new trolley that keeps the food hotter is more expensive and something tells me this is against the financial motives of these places. I hope I am wrong.
Seriously, its not rocket science to have heating units to transport food!! Old people in these places can live a hellish life, I know because I've workedi in aged care as an RN years ago. It should not be difficult to give people good food at the right temperature!!! Just get it done!
From personal limited experience with family and friends there is a major difference between the purely commercial care homes and those established by Churches or Veteran Groups. I see it as being like selecting a preschool for your children. Do they provide stimulating programmes for them and good food. Or is it White Bread and Pink Polony?
I’ve seen my relatives in Aged Care being served 1 tiny meat pie (like the little party pies you get in the freezer section of the supermarket) and I was told “that’s because old people eat like birds and it’s a waste to give them more”. 😢 As a result I cooked meals for my relatives and took it in to them so they had proper food to eat. I’d use the wards microwave to heat it up for them. It was sad to see others who didn’t have relatives try and eat substandard, stinky food.
Serving meals hot, giving residents a healthy diet, which is made from quality food, Maggie Beer biggest hurdle will be dealing with the privately owned nursing homes that are only there for the profit, a poor, bland diet will not be tolerated any more and they must not increase fees.
The biggest problem with keeping food hot is that by the time anyone gets it, it's overcooked. Veggies in particular suffer, loosing taste, texture and nutrients. Fish and chips are all very well and good but if you want residents to eat healthy foods and not get malnutrition then keeping food heated is not the solution. It's disgusting that in the name of efficiency and cost-cutting so many places no longer put humanity first.
When Aged Care businesses actually decide to spend adequate money for food, kitchen equipment and highly skilled staff who actually care, then we may see a turn around for the better. I witnessed first- hand over a 6 year period till 2023 , countless bland, cold, unappetizing and nutritionally deficient meals served up to my mother and fellow residents. She has now passed and now long has to suffer the humiliation of being served up food that on par with packaged frozen meals. Our Australian government are a disgrace, allowing our elderly be subjected to this neglect.
Why does it have to take Maggie Beer to care more about the elderly and the food in nursing homes then the government?? I feel so sorry for these poor people who have worked harder than any of us and had tougher lives to now can’t even be served hot meals, good on you Maggie ❤
Lots of improvements which is great to see. The dining rooms and the outdoor areas looked great. Foodwise, too much emphasis on animal products such as butter which really aren't very healthy. Should be swapping them out for plant based versions. Otherwise, the food seemed to have improved a lot. I'm glad my Mum lives in a nursing home that has a pretty good menu and bright, cheerful decor already with really nice garden areas that the residents often use. They should all be like that if not better!
it really depends, I have to rely on animal protein, all plant based go through me in no time at all, not healthy at all, I am 72 by the way. Happy to still be in my own home, the home care place Meggie is improving is just down the road from me.
I watched the programme, and for the life of me, I can not understand why the dining room is on a different floor to the kitchen, and also why they had slippery tiles in the courtyard. The people responsible for these horrible decisions should be sacked from their professions and barred from practising for a couple of decades.
This was a really good program and shows just how ‘boring and bad’ those meals were, shame on a lot of Aged Care Homes. More money is needed, just a few little touches make such a difference. Well Done Maggie for doing this program, let’s see if government listens and more, acts to give more money for decent food. Remember we all get old!
I watched this programme and realised that there are misunderstandings in the kitchen and for many of the residents who are ‘foodies’ the thought of that cold craggy porridge is disgusting.
Food in aged care is absolutely dismal. Some places literally serve the same things on the same days every week, over and over again. Imagine having to eat a meat pie every Wednesday for literally the rest of your life.
Part of the problem is government regulation. Food has to be overcooked.cant serve a rare stesk for example. Cant serve food hot, in case clients burn their mouths. Silly thongs like that.🤨
They are only doing this for the cameras the stuff that goes on behind the scenes is horrific, it makes me so sad how the elderly are discarded. Don't people know it will be you one day
