The Commission and the Department of Health and Aged Care are committed to supporting improvements to food, nutrition and dining in aged care. We are collaborating to deliver a free national Menu and Mealtime Review Program for residential aged care services over 2024-25 and 2025-26 financial years.
Expressions of interest to take part in thecurrent financial year have closed. Applicants who submitted their interest will be notified early in 2025.
If you’d like to submit your interest in participating in the 2025/26 financial year you can access the form via the button below. Please note that the outcomes of these applications will be available in mid-2025.
About the program
A limited number of aged care services will be supported with expert assessment and recommendations from Accredited Practising Dietitians. This will include feedback and recommendations specific to each service.
- Completely free and confidential
- Conducted on-site by an Accredited Practising Dietitian
- Customised feedback and recommendations
The on-site menu and mealtime review provided by the Accredited Practising Dietitian will include:
- introductory meetings with management staff
- evaluation of the menu
- assessment of the dining environment and mealtime experience including how well it supports residents to eat and drink safely and happily (enjoyment)
- review of documents describing delivery of good food, nutrition and dining
- a written report and feedback meeting to support continuous improvement.
All menu and mealtime review reports will remain confidential to the approved provider, the residential aged care service and the assessing dietitian.
A short summary report will be completed by the attending Accredited Practising Dietitian and provided to the Department of Health and Aged Care to be used for policy development purposes only.
The residential aged care service will be invited to participate in a brief online survey offered by the Commission about their experience of the review to assist in program evaluation. Services can choose to do so anonymously.
Eligibility for this program is limited to residential aged care services. Participation will be prioritised for:
- aged care services in small rural towns, remote communities and very remote communities
- residential services under the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program
- small providers that have 1-2 services and medium providers that have 3-10 services
- smaller services (with 60 or less residents)
- services with a score lower than 3 on the Residents’ Experience Survey question, ‘Do you like the food here?’
Click here to express your interest for the 2025/26 financial year.
Please note that the outcomes of these applications will be available in mid-2025.
Enquiries about the program
For further enquiries about the Menu and Mealtime Review Program please contact us via:
- info@agedcarequality.gov.au (using subject ‘Menu and mealtime review program enquiry’)
- call the Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline on 1800 844 044 (9am to 5pm AEST, Monday to Friday).
