Benetas breaky buffet boosts choice
Residents are experiencing a new way to enjoy breakfast now that they have a buffet style menu to choose from.
More options are now available to residents at Kangaroo Flat aged care home in Bendigo, now that a breakfast buffet has been introduced.
The Benetas aged care home said goodbye to its set menu breakfast service that ran between 8 and 9am in August and welcomed a buffet-style offering with timings and variety that are more suited to their residents.
When the first resident wakes up and decides to eat, the night shift staff have already prepared breakfast with nutritious options to choose from such as cereals, breads and porridge along with condiments and juices. The buffet stays open until the last person to get up and eat has finished.
As a result of the expansion in time frame and food offerings, eating has become more convenient for those living at the home.
Benetas CEO Sandra Hills OAM said flexibility to choose when they start their day has been embraced positively by residents.
“More than 60 per cent of residents are already benefiting from the change, selecting from a variety of options every day, increasing both mind alertness and appetite,” said Ms Hills.
“By being able to see and smell the food on offer, it creates a much more inviting atmosphere and a lot more choice.”
Benetas’ Broughton Hall home in Camberwell as well as Eaglehawk, which is located in Bendigo, are the next two homes that will benefit from the breakfast buffet, with all 12 Benetas aged care homes eventually implementing the buffet.
Residents at Benetas’ Corowa Court aged care home recently enjoyed traditional pub meals with a glass or wine or beer at their newest event “pot and parma”.
An option to cook with their home’s head chef and learn how to make their favourite dishes was also on offer in an initiative simply entitled “cooking with the chef”.
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Mum’s RACF serves meals from bain maries, with sandwiches as an alternative. Unfortunately there’s a lot of un-served food that’s thrown away (staff not allowed to take it home). There’s also wastage from residents who get their meal but don’t eat it.
Wastage also occurs in buffets in the general community. Some weigh the plate after the meal & charge a surcharge for too much left on the plate.
Wouldn’t that be an extra expense with RACF buffets?