Free menu and mealtime reviews for residential providers
Under the Menu and Mealtime Reviews Program, residential aged care services can get an onsite review by an accredited practising dietitian.
This will help services meet the new food and nutrition Aged Care Quality Standard which will commence under the new Aged Care Act on 1 July 2025.
You can express interest in a review for the 2025–26 financial year now. All residential aged care services can participate. This includes National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program providers.
Expressions of interest to take part in the 2024–25 financial year have closed.
Free workforce education and training
Maggie Beer Foundation training
A free education and training program through the Maggie Beer Foundation is available to cooks, chefs and food service staff working in aged care services. The program aims to:
- educate aged care chefs and cooks on how to source, prepare and serve more nutritious and delicious food
- improve dining experiences for residents
- increase positive responses for Residents’ Experience Surveys
- help providers meet the draft dedicated food and nutrition Aged Care Quality Standard under the new Aged Care Act
- help providers meet the quality indicators related to nutrition.
The Maggie Beer Foundation training is free and includes:
- online learning modules
- interactive short online classes
- provider-exclusive short online classes (so you can train all staff together)
- 12-month Trainer Mentor Program.
All training and education opportunities are available for residential aged care, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program (NATSIFAC) and Multi-Purpose Services (MPS) providers.
The following training options are available:
- 16 online learning modules open to anyone – new topics include
- hydration
- texture-modified diets
- regeneration of cook-chill
- cooking in the community
- dining with dementia
- state and territory training hubs – these bring aged care chefs and cooks together to learn practical skills from expert chef trainers
- Trainer Mentor Program – participating kitchen teams in individual aged care homes receive onsite mentoring by a professional chef trainer (applications open now)
- a professional community to share experience, knowledge and support – this is open to people who have completed any of the program activities.
Find out more or register for these activities.
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission training
Free training on food, nutrition and dining is available through the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s online learning portal Alis.
Supplement for residential aged care providers
The hotelling supplement:
- helps aged care providers meet the costs of hotel services, such as catering
- funds a wage increase for aged care head chefs and cooks.
MPS and NATSIFAC services are not eligible for the hotelling supplement. They receive $10 per resident per day through their individual payment methods.
The hotelling supplement replaces the previous Basic Daily Fee supplement.
Dietary guidelines for people aged 65 years and over
We are funding the National Health and Medical Research Council to develop new dietary guidelines and resources for people aged 65 years and over.
These guidelines will support good nutritional intake and reduce the malnutrition risk for older people.
More information
See also the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s:
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