Residents from Solihull care home enjoy community meals week

A care home in Solihull recently participated in a group meal organised for community meals week created to encourage “good-quality nutrition for older people.”

The residents of Lyndon Croft care home in Solihull enjoyed a meal at the National Motor Cycle Museum, Bickenhill, organised by PrimeLife, the home’s owners.

National Community Meals Week is an initiative created by the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) and took place between 10-14 November.

Quality Matters Manager at PrimeLife, Vicki Shaw, said: “We have backed this initiative because as a provider of high-quality care we are also passionate about good-quality nutrition for older people.

"Making sure older people have nutritious food and drinks is fundamental to good-quality care. A healthy diet has untold benefits, including helping to prevent long-term conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. That’s why our menus are always full of healthy and nutritious food.”

The meal was organised to take place at the same time as a relay which allowed residents to see a convoy of community meals delivery vehicles drive the length and breadth of the UK.

PrimeLife works to ensure that the food served within its care homes is of the best quality. Sam Wicks, the chef at PrimeLife’s Peaker Park Care Village, Leicestershire, prepared the lunch enjoyed on the day at Lyndon Croft. Sam Wick was also selected as a finalist in the Care Cook of the Year 2014 award organised by the NACC.

The chair of the NACC, Neel Radia, said: “National Community Meals Week and the ongoing campaign is fundamentally about helping older people and presents a fantastic opportunity for care providers, businesses and communities to do something for the older people of today and tomorrow.

“The week coincided with the onset of the colder, darker months when older people, especially those living alone, are at their most vulnerable and in need of regular contact, support, warmth and nourishment. Only by ensuring that everyone understands the unique and highly beneficial role the community meals service plays in society, supporting our most vulnerable, will we be able to protect its future.”

Lyndon Croft provides care for up to fifty-three people and specialises in care for people with dementia and sensory impairments.