Helen Ream has been a Dietitian for 30 years, working in the NHS for over 20 years and with Compass Group UK & Ireland since 2015. During her time at Compass, she has worked closely with care home teams to support and enhance the nutritional care provided through food services. In this insightful interview with Helen, we look at the importance of high-quality food service within care homes and how White Oaks prioritises wellbeing through their offering.
Can you provide an overview of Compass Group UK & Ireland’s involvement in the care home sector?
Part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, White Oaks spans food and dining services across the senior living sector from care, extra care and retirement living. In each, the team creates a food service offer that is developed to meet the specific mealtime preferences and needs of residents and
tenants, offering quality, choice and flexibility throughout the day.
What specific services does White Oaks offer to care homes?
Our collective purpose is to deliver a quality food service at the highest level, placing residents at the very heart of that service. By doing this, we can guarantee a professionally managed and innovative food and dining experience – supporting better living, a ‘home from home’ environment and sense of community that is important to our clients and residents alike.
How do you tailor your services to meet the unique needs of different care homes and their residents?
We work in partnership with care teams within our partner organisations. This enables us to understand a resident’s needs in terms of their individual preferences, as well as specific dietary requirements. That’s why we have created a ‘food passport’ system, which outlines the ‘food story’ for each resident and ensures that they are served meals that meet their needs.
Can you describe the process White Oaks uses to develop and plan nutritious menus for care home residents?
Our meals and menus are created by our expert chefs and dietitians, who work together to strike the balance between great taste and good nutrition. We offer a choice of meals and ensure that they are served in a way that encourages residents to eat well, in an environment that enhances a relaxed, social atmosphere.
Training and knowledge for our teams is key. Part of our training is to understand each resident’s requirements and to work alongside other professionals within the care home setting to ensure that residents receive, eat and enjoy a meal that is right for them and can of course help to meet their nutritional needs. This communication between our teams and the care team is imperative to meeting high standards of care.
What steps are taken to ensure that meals are both nutritionally balanced and appealing to elderly residents?
We work with our partners and rely on feedback, to constantly evolve our menus. We understand that residents often love our classic, homestyle meals, but also encourage them to try new tastes and concepts. To support this we often host theme food events and ask our residents to join in baking and cooking as an interactive activity.
