Scoping Australian and International Menu and Mealtime Assessment Tools for Residential Aged Care

The Department of Health and Aged Care has recently released strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards which will come into effect across Australia on 1st July 2024. Standard 6: Food and Nutrition outlines the expectation statement for older people along with each of the four enforceable outcomes and related detailed actions which are required to be demonstrated by a residential aged care provider. As the leading voice for Nutrition and Dietetics in Australia it is critical that Dietitians Australia are informed and can advocate for best practices which align with Standard 6: Food and Nutrition.
In 2021, Dietitians Australia released the Menu and Mealtime Quality Assessment for Residential Aged Care (MMQA-RAC) which utilised the existing Aged Care Quality Standards as the framework. With the release of the 2024 strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards(1), it is timely for Dietitians Australia to align any revision of the MMQA-RAC with these Standards through an evaluation of contemporary international evidence.
Despite seemingly addressing Standard 6 well, as a result of the literature review findings it will be important to consider the best way to present the assessment criteria to avoid being excessively prescriptive, which could have a negative impact on the resident experience, the service, an already depleted aged care workforce, and subsequently, the accreditation audit process.