Ordering

Autonomy and control over one's environment are valued in the long-term care sector, particularly residential aged care. Allowing residents to select their meal portions provides residents with a level of control over their own choices. Furthermore, in care homes and hospital-level care, patients have a higher level of meal service satisfaction when appropriate meal portions are provided. Therefore, allowing residents to dictate their preferred serving size at the point of service may be a way to increase resident satisfaction and reduce food waste.

• Allow residents to select desired portion size at point of ordering OR point of service
• Provide a paper copy of the menu with the resident's meal selections noted to help with memory
• Clinical staff check the resident's nutritional profile is accurate every four weeks

Allow residents to select desired portion size at point of ordering OR point of service

Allowing residents to choose their preferred portion size at the point of ordering or service helps align meals with individual appetites and needs, reducing plate waste while supporting dignity, choice, and resident satisfaction.

Suggested steps for action:

• Consider creating an implementation plan with key staff
• Discuss changes with staff and residents to ensure they understand what changes are happening and why
• Involve the food waste champion in reminding relevant staff to ask residents what portion size they wish to eat and drink before service.
• Check in at regular intervals with staff and residents to see how the intervention is working
• Monitor plate waste and serving waste to determine the impact of the intervention 

Resources to support implementation:

• Implementation planning
• Intervention tracker
• Reminders for staff

Provide a paper copy of the menu with the resident's meal selections noted to help with memory

Allowing residents to choose their preferred portion size at the point of ordering or service helps align meals with individual appetites and needs, reducing plate waste while supporting dignity, choice, and resident satisfaction.

Suggested steps for action:

• ·    Consider creating an implementation plan with key staff
• ·  Discuss changes with staff and residents to ensure they understand what changes are happening and why
• · Involve the food waste champion in reminding relevant staff to leave a completed copy of each residents’ menu with the resident. Check in with staff and residents at regular intervals to get feedback on how this is working in practice
• Monitor plate waste to determine the impact of the intervention   

Resources to support implementation:

• Implementation planning
• Intervention tracker
• Reminders for staff

Clinical staff check the resident's nutritional profile is accurate every four weeks

Overly restrictive diets, especially texture-modified diets, can reduce the palatability of meals, leading to reduced meal satisfaction. Liberalising residents’ diets increases the enjoyment of food, helps increase food intake, and improves quality of life while reducing plate waste. Meeting with clinical staff on at least a monthly basis ensures that residents' diet plans are updated and limits the amount of time on a restrictive diet.

Suggested steps for action:

• ·    Consider creating an implementation plan with key staff
• ·  Discuss changes with staff and residents to ensure they understand what changes are happening and why
• · Involve the food waste champion in reminding relevant staff to leave a completed copy of each residents’ menu with the resident. Check in with staff and residents at regular intervals to get feedback on how this is working in practice
• Monitor plate waste to determine the impact of the intervention   

Resources to support implementation:

• Implementation planning
• Intervention tracker
• Reminders for staff