SPC Care launches to better cater to aged care residents

Australian food manufacturer SPC has launched a dedicated nutritional health care company to help improve the nutrition of aged care residents and older people living at home.

SPC Care aims to provide older or infirmed Australians and health and aged care groups with food that meets the nutritional needs seniors, who have different nutritional requirements than younger people.

SPC chief commercial officer Bree Vidovich said the company was expanding its offerings to include easy-to-open products for people with arthritis and meal solutions that cater for health issues including dysphagia, diabetes and gluten intolerance.

“Creating these science-based meals, snacks and beverages will reduce food waste at the point of consumption, improve the mental health of the consumer and most importantly improve the overall health of our ageing population,” Ms Vidovich said.

“The new company will expand the current range of tasty and nutritious meals that will cater for different ethnic groups, different religious and other dietary requirements. Everybody has the right to eat tasty, high quality, healthy and appropriate meals all day, every day,” she said.

SPC Care is also offering training and education to care workers on nutrition standards and the importance  of food in wellbeing of older Australians.

The organisation established SPC Care following the aged care royal commission findings that two out of three people in aged care facilities were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition and the government’s response.

In the recent Federal Budget, the government announced a $10 Basic Daily Fee supplement from July payable to providers in return for additional reporting including on food expenditure, however the supplement can be spent on anything.

SPC chairman Hussein Rifai said the government should ensure that providers allocate a mandated amount of the $10 supplement to residents’ meals.

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