This month Adrian Silaghi and I held our first Masterclass since before the pandemic. We adapted to the ‘new normal’ by holding the Masterclass on Zoom, rather than all the participants meeting in person as usual.
Our Masterclass topics were;
- Fortification and Malnutrition – adding calories in a person-centred way.
- Diabetes in care – person-centred support.
- Clinical to catering communication.
- International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) – updates and review.
We had a lovely group of Chefs in attendance and our Nourishment and Social Wellness Coordinator from Lulworth House, Katja, also joined.
The first part of the session was focused on malnutrition and fortification, which is an important topic in care. We looked at individual meal planning, adding in extra calories to a person’s diet, 100 calorie boosters, fortified shakes, mousses and recipes, as well as fortifying for dysphagia and how to support a person who requires a dairy-free fortified diet.
I then moved onto discussing Diabetes. When catering for a diabetic resident in care, it is important to support the individual and acknowledge that each person is different. Some people are insulin controlled, whilst some are pre-diabetic or Type 2 without the need for drugs or insulin.
Food preferences and communication with Nurses and clinical teams help us to know how best to support a person and to know if it’s ok to offer a small piece of a ‘regular’/full sugar food or to encourage a low carb option.
After a well-deserved tea break, Adrian then took over the Masterclass and discussed the new ‘T card’ coloured coded system that we are currently implementing in our Homes to ensure a quick and easy way for Chefs to see the special diets of each resident.
Adrian then concluded with a presentation on the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI), reviewing all the updates and inviting a Q&A for everyone to share as a group and query anything they needed to with Adrian or myself.
The Masterclass was a great success, providing valuable information and updates to our Teams, with the opportunity to share knowledge and questions.
Thank you to everyone who attended.
