Food should be more targeted at the nutritional needs of care home residents

Nearly three-quarters of the care sector think the food served in care homes should be more targeted to the nutritional needs of individual residents.

The opinion poll, carried out by the CAP Awards, found 29 per cent of people polled thought care home food met the nutritional needs of individual residents, whereas 71 per cent said it could be improved.

CAP Awards managing director Ian Jackson said the results indicated that there was a desire to improve catering standards across the sector.

He added: “Providers must listen to what their residents want and be flexible to their needs and tastes to ensure food is always appropriate.

“Nutrition is a key factor in the maintenance of good health, especially amongst older people, and what is required for one person might not be the same as someone else with a different condition, dietary requirements or medication regime.”

The survey was carried out on delegates at this year’s Care Roadshow in Birmingham.

The CAP (Continuous Advancement Programme) Awards are one of the healthcare industry’s leading measures of quality in catering and housekeeping.

Previous winners include homes from Gracewell Healthcare, Castlebeck and The Huntercombe Group.