Posted in IDDSI

A goal in residential aged care is for residents to enjoy a range of meals throughout the day which includes delicious main meals, mid-meals and drinks.  As our appetite reduces, so the need to provide nutritious snacks becomes even more important.  The mid meal should be appealing and provide the nutrients that are likely to have been missed by having a smaller serve at the main meal. 

Options include:

• a range of home baked cakes,
• sweet or savoury baked items like scones and pikelets,
• savoury plates with cheese and crackers and
• items based on fruit and dairy foods, such as yoghurt, ice-cream or custard

When a resident commences a modified texture diet (soft, minced and moist or pureed) it is very common to find that mid meals are no longer offered! This can result in weight loss and malnutrition. Sometimes the only options offered are monotonous- the same fruit and custard or yoghurt every day with no variety.  This soon becomes very unappealing and the resident's appetite can fall even further.

We know malnutrition is high amongst those needing modified diets, so the mid meals are even more important to their overall quality of life.   It is important to continually look at interesting ways to present the main meals with molds, piping, layering, but it is also important to give the humble mid-meals the consideration that our residents deserve.

About the Author Nutrition Professionals Australia is a team of Accredited Practising Dietitians who consult to aged care homes across Australia.  They have more than 40 years of combined experience in a range of roles, as Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitians, Food Services Coordinator, Residential Site Manager, Author of Nutrition Manuals and Consultant Dietitian.roles, as Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitians, Food Services Coordinator, Residential Site Manager, Author of Nutrition Manuals and Consultant Dietitian.

Is your home or service IDDSI compliant? 

From May of 2019, the terminology used to describe and classify modified texture meals and fluids was formally adopted across the community, country and the world. 

There are minor but very significant changes to the way the textures and thickened fluids are described.  Many resources can be found at www.iddsi.org and there are apps available to help you through the journey. 

It's important that all the members of the team - nursing, care, food service, lifestyle and volunteers - are familiar with the changes.  

So, have you made the change to IDDSI? 

About the Author Nutrition Professionals Australia is a team of Accredited Practising Dietitians who consult to aged care homes across Australia.  They have more than 40 years of combined experience in a range of roles, as Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitians, Food Services Coordinator, Residential Site Manager, Author of Nutrition Manuals and Consultant Dietitian.  

Have you implemented IDDSI yet? The date for implementation of the new IDDSI guidelines was 1st May.  Key issues to consider include:

• Documentation of the IDDSI textures and thickened fluids in your clinical software and in kitchen documentation
• Training for care and kitchen staff on the differences between the Easy to Chew and the Soft and Bite Sized Diets
• How have your residents currently receiving a soft diet been classified in the new guidelines? You will need support from your speech pathologist

Our Meal Plans for Older People Manual has been revised for IDDSI. If you have purchased a version over the past 12 months, you will receive an updated version. For more information or to purchase the manual, click here.