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Better Meals for Better Lives in AHS Long Term Care

Friday, September 21, 2012 - 3:57 PM

Albertans in long term care homes are enjoying improved menu selections thanks to a relatively new initiative. Closer to Home was developed only seven weeks ago by Alberta Health Services in partnership with Health Advisory Councils. Together the organizations gather input from residents, families and community members on changes and improvements to menu selections at long-term care centres.

About 290 people in 10 communities, representing all five zones of AHS, provided their feedback over the summer. Residents in all 74 AHS long-term care centres will be consulted by the end of the month. The Closer to Home initiative supports Health Minister Fred Horne’s directive from this past July to bring back food preparation services in AHS long-term care facilities by December.

Many suggestions from Albertans were quickly accepted and acted upon, says Closer to Home spokesperson Heather Truber, Director, Food Safety, Menu and Supply for AHS.

“Residents in St. Paul told us they preferred liver and onions over shepherd’s pie and that’s an example of an immediate change we were happy to make,” says Truber. “The rest of the valuable feedback we’re gathering will be used to make additional changes in the weeks and months to come, adding more choice and variety, local preferences and culturally-relevant foods.”

AHS is expanding on-site preparation of foods based on residents feedback. Some of that input requested better variety of condiments and spices, more familiar flavours, and even more Alberta-grown foods.