The Government has launched a dedicated Food, Nutrition and Dining Unit hotline at the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC), where consumers can report food concerns in residential aged care.
The hotline is staffed with experts such as dietitians and speech pathologists in the fields of food, nutrition, and dining.
The hotline, funded with $7.4 million from the Federal Government, was announced in May, and is now live.
Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, said, “Australians were shocked when the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety found that 68% of aged care residents were malnourished or at risk of malnourishment on the Coalition’s watch.
“I can't be clear enough, food must be a priority in aged care.”
The Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline number is 1800 844 044.
The SOURCE: Food has been an ongoing issue in residential aged care, with the Royal Commission citing research that aged care providers were spending only $6 per resident per day on food. In response, the Government introduced a $10 per day Basic Daily Fee supplement, which has been extended into the $10.80 hotelling supplement.
