Good nutrition plays an important role in maintaining health, strength, independence and quality of life as we age. Changes in appetite, health conditions, medications, mobility and the ability to prepare or eat food can all make meeting nutritional needs more challenging.

At Ward Nutrition, our Accredited Practising Dietitians provide practical, evidence-based nutrition support for older adults, families, carers and residential aged care facilities across Central West NSW.

Our approach is individualised, focusing on maintaining nutritional intake, supporting health and making eating as enjoyable and manageable as possible.

Nutritional needs can change considerably as we get older. A reduced appetite, illness, medications, difficulty shopping or preparing meals and problems with chewing or swallowing can all affect how much someone eats and the nutrients they receive.

Our dietitians can assess current nutritional intake and identify practical ways to improve the nutritional quality of meals, snacks and drinks.

For some people, the priority may not be changing what they eat but finding ways to maintain weight, preserve muscle and ensure they are eating enough.

Unintentional weight loss in older adults shouldn’t simply be considered a normal part of ageing. Poor nutritional intake can contribute to loss of muscle and strength and may affect a person’s overall health and independence.

Our dietitians can help identify factors contributing to poor intake and develop strategies to increase energy, protein and other important nutrients.

This may include changes to everyday meals and snacks, food fortification or the use of nutritional supplements where appropriate.

Older adults often live with more than one health condition, making generic dietary advice difficult to follow.

Our dietitians can consider the complete picture, including medical conditions, medications, appetite, nutritional status and individual food preferences.

We can also work alongside GPs, nurses, speech pathologists and other healthcare professionals where coordinated care is required.

Ward Nutrition has extensive experience working with residential aged care facilities throughout Central West NSW. Our dietitians can provide nutrition assessments for individual residents as well as broader support to aged care providers.

Services can include:

• Resident nutrition assessments
• Malnutrition screening and management
• Nutrition care plans
• Review of nutritional supplements
• Texture-modified diet support
• Menu assessments and reviews
• Food service advice
• Staff education and training
• Practical recommendations to improve resident nutrition

Providing nutritious meals in an aged care environment involves balancing nutritional requirements, resident preferences, food safety, texture requirements and the practical realities of food service.

Ward Nutrition can assist facilities with menu assessments, food service reviews and practical recommendations to help support appropriate nutrition for residents.

Our team brings experience in both clinical dietetics and aged care food services, allowing us to consider nutrition from the individual resident through to the broader meal service.

Ward Nutrition has considerable experience in aged care nutrition.

Claire Ward has more than 30 years of experience as a dietitian, including extensive experience within hospital and aged care food service departments across Central West NSW.

Andy Zhao and Ella Mackie also work across residential aged care, providing individual nutrition care and supporting facilities with the nutritional needs of their residents.

This combination of clinical and food service experience allows our team to provide practical support for both individuals and aged care organisations.

Whether you’re seeking nutrition support for yourself or a family member, or require professional dietetic services for an aged care facility, Ward Nutrition can help.

Contact Ward Nutrition to discuss aged care nutrition services across Central West NSW.