Health

The Importance of Nutrition

Malnutrition is a problem that impacts many older Australians, as was evidenced in the results of the Royal Commission into Aged Care.

Dietitians Australia states in the 2019 publication ‘Malnutrition in Older Australians’:

“People with malnutrition are at a higher risk of falls, infection and pressure wounds, and they experience greater mortality than people who are well-nourished. They also experience longer recovery from illness or injury, and are less able to carry out activities of daily living.”

Lite n’ Easy believes eating well is at the heart of health and wellbeing. For more than 30 years, our dietitians and chefs have been creating delicious and nutritionally-balanced meals for all Australians, using the freshest, quality ingredients.

Every year, we prepare and deliver more than 10 million nutritionally-balanced meals to the homes of older Australians who qualify for the federally-funded Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) or Home Care Package (HCP), making us one of the largest meal providers nationwide for older Australians.

The team at Lite n’ Easy are calling on the federal government to adopt the following recommendations, so that older Australians have quicker access to healthy, nutritious meals, helping them stay in their own homes longer, and saving the federal budget billions of dollars each year:

To promote innovation that increases quality of care, Lite n’ Easy recommends the Department of Health and Aged Care immediately engage with existing organisations and health service providers who are already innovating and creating proven and evidence‐based difference in the lives of older Australians. This directly supports the goal to provide people with real choices about who provides their services and the types of services they receive and achieving value for money.
Lite n’ Easy recommends the Department of Health and Aged Care make access to nutritious meals mandatory in all support plans, that sit outside of the assessment requirements. This will enable flexibility to adapt to changing needs and circumstances.

Eating the right foods each day will provide your body with enough protein and calories to prevent muscle and weight loss, and reduce your risk of malnutrition. As we age, maintaining muscle mass and a healthy weight can help to stay independent, active, and most importantly promote longevity.

It’s also important for seniors to have a varied diet, not only to keep their interest, but also to achieve nutritional balance. Consuming a variety of different foods helps us to create a robust and healthy gut microbiome, maximise our nutrient intake, and avoid deficiencies.

My Choice by Lite n’ Easy is a new range of meals which have been developed to help older Australians eat well and live at home longer. My Choice are protein and energy dense meals packed full of taste and goodness. They have been specifically designed by dietitians for older people with smaller appetites. Recipes also include at least one serving of vegetables per serving making sure your diet is varied.

If you or someone you know is an approved Home Care Package recipient, they may be entitled to subsidised meals by requesting Lite n’ Easy as their meal provider. This means, they would only be required to pay 30% of the normal price for their Lite n’ Easy meals. Healthy and great tasting food for a bargain price!

To find out more visit liteneasy.com.au/home-care-packages/

Courtesy Lite n’ Easy