Beyond Compliance: Raising the Standard of IDDSI Dining in Care Homes
Moving beyond compliance, care homes are reimagining texture-modified dining through the IDDSI framework. With insight from Andy Cullum (The iddsi Guy) and Debbie Kenchington, Lead Speech and Language Therapist at Askham Village, this article explores how innovation, training and culture can transform mealtimes for residents living with dysphagia.
At its best, IDDSI is not restrictive; it is enabling. It provides a shared language and clear structure for producing safe, consistent meals, while still allowing room for creativity and person-centred care. The challenge for providers is no longer simply meeting the standard, but raising it, ensuring meals are not only safe, but also enjoyable, recognisable and dignified.
From Framework to Experience
The IDDSI framework has transformed dysphagia management across the sector, improving safety and communication between kitchen teams, carers and clinicians. Yet, as Andy highlights, it is still too often treated as a “tick-box exercise.”
Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee a positive dining experience. Residents do not engage with frameworks; they engage with food. If that food lacks visual appeal, flavour or recognisability, it can impact appetite, wellbeing and quality of life.
At Askham Village, this shift from process-led to experience-led dining is supported through close multidisciplinary working. Their in-house Speech and Language Therapy team not only assesses swallowing needs and recommends IDDSI levels, but also works alongside care and catering teams to ensure mealtime experiences reflect both safety and enjoyment.
Elevating IDDSI, therefore, requires a change in mindset, from compliance to experience.
The Power of Presentation and Recognition
Presentation is one of the most immediate and impactful ways to improve texture-modified dining. As Andy emphasises, “texture-modified meals should still look like food.”
This principle is echoed in practice at Askham Village, where specialist moulding techniques are used to reshape puréed foods into recognisable forms. These visual cues help residents identify what they are eating, supporting appetite, familiarity and emotional connection.
A puréed carrot that resembles a carrot is far more engaging than an unidentifiable portion. Achieving this does not require overly complex techniques, but it does demand consistency, attention to detail and a commitment to dignity.
Consistency Without Compromise
Consistency remains one of the greatest challenges in IDDSI delivery. Variations across shifts, teams and environments can affect texture, presentation and overall quality.
IDDSI is not a single task, but a set of practices embedded across the whole team. At Askham Village, this is reinforced through ongoing, hands-on training led by Speech and Language Therapists, ensuring staff understand not only IDDSI levels, but also how to prepare, test and serve food safely.
This includes practical competency in food modification and fluid thickening, as well as testing procedures to confirm compliance before meals are served. Continuous education builds confidence, reduces variation and supports consistent delivery across all settings.
Innovation Driving Efficiency
A common perception is that improving IDDSI quality increases workload. In reality, innovation is helping to improve both efficiency and outcomes.
Modern kitchen equipment enables faster, more reliable texture modification, while moulding systems enhance presentation without adding unnecessary complexity. At Askham Village, innovation is also evident in the catering team's creativity, producing visually appealing dishes and even modified celebration cakes, ensuring residents can fully participate in special occasions.
Training methods are evolving too. Practical, interdisciplinary training ensures that rehabilitation and care staff can safely prepare food and drink when needed, reducing reliance on specific roles and supporting flexibility across the service.
As Andy notes, innovation is not just about tools, but about adopting a person-centred approach that prioritises both safety and enjoyment.
A Whole-Team Approach
One of the most important insights from practice is that IDDSI cannot sit solely within the kitchen. Dining is a multidisciplinary experience shaped by environment, communication and culture.
At Askham Village, Speech and Language Therapists maintain a presence in dining spaces, supporting staff in making real-time adjustments based on factors such as posture, fatigue, and resident engagement. This ensures care plans remain dynamic and responsive.
Wider environmental factors, including noise, lighting and table presentation, also influence the mealtime experience. A calm, supportive setting can significantly enhance both safety and enjoyment.
When all staff understand IDDSI principles, communication improves, and consistency strengthens, creating a shared sense of ownership across the team.
Preserving Choice and Dignity
For residents on texture-modified diets, loss of choice remains a common challenge. Simplified menus can unintentionally reduce variety and create a sense of exclusion.
Both Andy and Debbie emphasise the importance of maintaining choice through adaptable menus. Wherever possible, residents should receive the same meals as others, modified safely without compromising quality.
At Askham Village, a strong person-centred approach ensures that individual preferences, cultural backgrounds and personal histories are reflected in menu planning. Communication tools, accessible menus, and family involvement further support residents in making informed choices and maintaining independence.
Adaptive equipment, supported by occupational therapy input, also enables many residents to engage more actively in mealtimes, reinforcing dignity and reducing reliance on staff assistance.
Standardisation Meets Creativity
There is a common misconception that standardisation restricts creativity. In reality, strong standards provide the foundation for it.
Clear processes for preparation, testing and presentation ensure safety and consistency, while allowing teams to explore flavour, colour and creativity. As Andy highlights, “people still eat with their eyes first.”
At Askham Village, this balance is achieved through structured training, collaborative working and a shared commitment to high standards, enabling teams to deliver meals that are both compliant and appealing.
Raising the Standard
Elevating IDDSI is not about adding complexity, but refining the approach. With the right training, tools and mindset, care homes can deliver texture-modified meals that are safe, efficient and genuinely enjoyable.
The providers leading in this space are those that treat IDDSI not as a constraint, but as an opportunity. By embedding it into their culture, investing in their teams and embracing multidisciplinary collaboration, they are redefining what texture-modified dining can look like.
The goal remains clear: keep dignity on the menu.
Nutrition Beyond the Plate: Creating Meals Care Home Residents Want to Eat
Joseph Oliver, Development Chef at Creed Foodservice, explores why nutrition in care must go beyond meeting dietary requirements, highlighting the importance of creating meals that residents not only need but genuinely want to eat, as appetite and sensory changes impact intake in later life.
Make meals about the people
Residents have individual preferences, dietary needs and lifelong food memories, and those experiences continue to shape their relationship with food. Giving residents greater autonomy over food choices can have a significant impact on both enjoyment and nutritional intake.
Simple changes can make a big difference. Offering buffet-style service, interactive options such as breakfast pancake bars or dessert stations where residents can choose their own toppings, or allowing residents to customise meals by selecting sides and accompaniments can help make mealtimes feel more personal and engaging.
Make every mouthful count
When appetites are smaller, increasing portion sizes is rarely the answer. Instead, the focus should be on making every mouthful count.
Simple measures in the kitchen, such as enriching full-fat milk with dried skimmed milk powder, using vitamin-fortified ingredients in sauces and gravies, or incorporating nutrient-dense ingredients into desserts and drinks, can significantly increase calorie, protein and vitamin intake without changing the meals residents already enjoy.
Hydration should be approached similarly. Many older people do not experience thirst as readily as they once did, making dehydration a common concern. Offering a variety of drinks throughout the year, from smoothies and milkshakes to iced teas during warmer months, can provide an appealing alternative to tea, coffee and water. High-water-content foods such as fruit, soups, yoghurts and jellies can also help support hydration at mealtimes.
Celebrate food and drink
Perhaps most importantly, we shouldn't underestimate the social role food plays. Mealtimes are often one of the highlights of the day and provide valuable opportunities for connection and enjoyment.
Social dining experiences such as afternoon teas, themed food events and garden parties can help stimulate appetite and encourage residents to eat more. Research has shown that these occasions can increase calorie intake up to 48%.
The dining environment matters too. A calm, welcoming space with good lighting and minimal distractions can help residents focus on their meals. For those dining in their rooms, thoughtful touches such as quality crockery, napkins and condiments can help maintain the sense of occasion.
Ultimately, supporting nutrition in care settings is about far more than meeting dietary requirements. By creating enjoyable, personalised dining experiences that stimulate appetite and encourage choice, care homes can help residents eat and drink better, supporting both wellbeing and quality of life.
To help care homes put these principles into practice, Creed Foodservice recently launched a Nutrition & Hydration Guide, bringing together practical advice, recipes and simple strategies designed to support resident wellbeing through food and drink.
To download a copy of the guide, scan the QR code.
[1] The Journal of Population Ageing, 2024
Beyond the Menu: Why Culturally Inclusive Catering is Essential for Person-Centred Care
Food in care homes is often seen in terms of nutrition, safety and compliance. For residents, however, it also represents identity, culture and comfort. As the UK’s care population becomes more diverse, providers must move beyond standard menus. For Caryn Straker, in- house Dietitian at Nightingale Hammerson, this is essential to delivering truly person-centred care.
More than nutrition
“In a care home environment, we often see increasing barriers to eating and drinking,” Straker explains. “As people become frailer or live with cognitive decline, familiar foods become even more important.”
When meals feel unfamiliar or do not align with cultural or religious expectations, residents are less likely to engage. This can quickly lead to reduced intake, increasing the risk of malnutrition, dehydration and declining wellbeing.
“Eating and drinking are absolutely essential to someone’s health, but also their enjoyment of life,” she says. “If the food doesn’t feel right to them, you’re creating an unnecessary barrier.”
This is where culturally appropriate catering becomes a core clinical consideration, not simply a lifestyle preference.
From compliance to integration
A common issue in care catering is neglecting religious or cultural diets, which are often treated as an afterthought. Menus are typically created first, with dietary alternatives like vegetarian, halal, or simplified options added later. Although well-meaning, this method can restrict choices and reduce both quality and nutritional balance.
"These diets should be planned as an integral part of the menu,” says Straker. “They need to provide the same variety and nutritional standards as any other meal."
Residents on halal, kosher, vegetarian, or vegan diets should not feel limited or marginalized by inadequate options. "You should not have a situation where someone always chooses the same fallback because no other options are considered for them." Incorporating inclusive catering into the main menu design helps make it a routine part of daily practice, not just an exception.
Managing complexity in diverse homes
While some providers, such as Nightingale Hammerson, operate within a specific dietary framework, many care homes must manage a wider range of needs. "It can be quite challenging to accommodate various cultural and religious requirements," explains Straker. "Some residents need halal meals, others require kosher options, and there are vegetarian or vegan diets, along with individuals avoiding certain foods for other reasons."
There’s also room for innovation. Kitchens can develop menus that are more inclusive by default, reducing the need for multiple modifications.
Balancing authenticity, nutrition and safety
Providing culturally appropriate meals requires careful balancing. Authenticity matters, but so do clinical nutrition and food safety. "At the end of the day, care homes must ensure their meals are nutritionally balanced and suitable for residents," says Straker.
This is especially important in care settings where residents may be frail, at risk of malnutrition, or managing complex health issues. At the same time, operational factors such as staffing, budgets, and kitchen capacity must be taken into account. Without proper planning, these competing priorities can pose challenges. "If you don’t plan ahead, problems will arise," she explains. "Waiting until the morning to realize you need multiple alternative or texture-modified meals that weren't planned for is too late."
Proactive menu planning helps providers balance authenticity with safety and efficiency, rather than viewing them as conflicting goals.
Cross-contamination and clarity
Concerns about cross-contamination often act as a barrier to providing inclusive catering, especially for halal and kosher diets. Nonetheless, Straker emphasises that many of the needed principles are already part of standard professional kitchen practices. “Care home kitchens are already familiar with managing food allergies and intolerances, which involve similar controls,” she notes. “These same principles can be adapted to accommodate religious dietary needs.”
Measures like using separate equipment, designated prep areas, and clear handling procedures can effectively mitigate risks. In specialised settings, such as kosher kitchens, this is essential.
However, issues tend to stem from misunderstandings rather than system deficiencies. “A major challenge is distinguishing between actual requirements and personal preferences,” says Straker. Without proper communication, kitchens may unnecessarily restrict menus or implement controls that limit residents' options. “It’s about precisely understanding individual needs and conveying that clearly to the team.”
Training, communication and consistency
Inclusive catering involves more than just kitchen processes; it depends on consistent understanding among the entire care team. "Communication is absolutely key,” emphasises Straker. “Everyone involved must understand each resident’s requirements." This includes recognising that dietary labels are not always clear-cut.
For instance, the meaning of “vegetarian” can differ greatly among individuals. "It’s important to ask questions and clarify details,” she notes. "Assumptions can lead to errors if not checked." Training is also essential, especially in facilities lacking access to catering and dietetic expertise.. Although guidance and resources are increasingly available, variability still exists across the sector.
Ethical considerations and resident choice
Culturally sensitive catering also raises ethical issues, especially when residents experience cognitive decline.
“There are cases where someone who has been vegetarian all their life may no longer remember that,” explains Straker. “They might pick foods that contradict their previous beliefs.” In such situations, care teams must carefully weigh respecting the person’s past identity against their current autonomy, involving families in decision-making.
“Some families say, ‘let them choose,’ while others believe their lifelong beliefs should be maintained.” This can be a tricky situation to manage as caterers and care teams and underscores the importance of truly person-centred care, where there is rarely a ‘right’ answer.
A marker of quality care
As care homes serve increasingly diverse populations, inclusive catering becomes a key indicator of quality. “This isn’t something that can be treated as an afterthought,” she emphasises. “It needs to be integrated into our approach to care from the very start.” Ultimately, food is more than nutrition; it reflects dignity, identity, and understanding, core elements of outstanding care.
Essential 5: Catering and Nutrition
Five essential nutrition priorities for later life, from protein and calcium to hydration, explained by Tess Warnes BSc RD, Head of Nutrition and Sustainability at allmanhall, with practical guidance for supporting resident health and independence.
Protein: protecting strength and independence
As people age, protein needs increase. Protein helps maintain muscle strength, mobility, and recovery, making it vital for preserving independence. Aim to include a good source of protein in every meal, and offer higher-protein snacks and the most nutrient-dense options, such as eggs, dairy, beans, fish, poultry, or lean meat. Encourage residents to enjoy two portions of fish each week, including one oily variety, such as sardines.
Calcium: supporting bone health
Strong bones remain important throughout later life. Calcium helps maintain bone strength and can reduce the risk of fractures. Residents should aim for three portions of milk or dairy foods each day, including milk, yoghurt, or cheese. Offer full-fat versions to boost nutrient density. For those avoiding dairy, calcium-fortified plant-based alternatives can help meet requirements and support healthy ageing.
Folate: fuel for mind and heart
Folate plays an important role in supporting cognitive function, memory, and cardiovascular health. Including folate-rich foods in menus can help residents maintain overall wellbeing. Good sources include leafy green vegetables, broccoli, beans, lentils, eggs, and citrus fruits. Adding these nutrient-rich foods regularly is a simple way to boost nutritional value.
Vitamin B12: essential for energy and cognition
Vitamin B12 supports energy production, nerve function, and cognitive health. Older adults are at greater risk of deficiency because the body becomes less efficient at absorbing B12 with age. Regularly include foods rich in B12, such as fish, lean meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and fortified breakfast cereals, to help residents stay healthy and energised.
Fluids: every sip counts
Hydration is often overlooked, yet it is crucial for health and wellbeing. As people age, the sensation of thirst can diminish, increasing the risk of dehydration. Encourage regular drinks throughout the day. Water is ideal, but tea, coffee, milk, squash, fruit juice, and other beverages all contribute to fluid intake and help residents stay hydrated.
The difference between delivering care and delivering a good lived experience
There is a dangerous comfort in believing that care has been delivered simply because a task has been completed. Medication administered. Personal care provided. Meal served. Fluid chart updated. Care plan reviewed. Family contacted. Risk assessment filed.
All of these things matter. In regulated care, they matter profoundly. They protect life, evidence accountability and create the basic architecture of safe provision. But they are not, by themselves, the same as a good lived experience. Care is what we provide. Lived experience is what the person actually receives, feels, remembers and carries. That distinction may appear subtle, but in practice it is the line between a service that is merely operational and a service that is genuinely humane. It is also the line between compliance as a defensive activity and quality as a living culture.
Across adult social care, we have become skilled at documenting inputs. We can evidence rotas, audits, supervisions, incident reviews and policy updates. Yet the most important question is often the one least easily captured in a spreadsheet: what does it feel like to live here, to be supported here, to lose independence here, to depend on strangers here, to age here, to recover here, or to spend one’s final chapter here? That is the question that separates delivering care from delivering a good lived experience.
Care Is Not Enough If It Does Not Preserve Personhood
Good care begins with safety, but it cannot end there. A person can be safe and still feel invisible. A person can be clean, fed and medicated, yet still feel lonely, patronised or managed rather than known. A person can have every clinical need recorded and still experience a daily erosion of identity. The purpose of care is not simply to maintain the body. It is to uphold the person.
In my own work across staffing, homecare, supported living, complex care and social care innovation, I have learnt that the best services are not defined by how efficiently they complete tasks. They are defined by how intentionally they protect dignity, autonomy, belonging and meaning. A good lived experience asks different questions.
Not only: “Has Mrs Patel eaten?”
But: “Was the meal familiar, culturally meaningful, offered with patience, and served in a way that respected her preferences?”
Not only: “Has Mr Thompson been supported to wash?”
But: “Was he rushed, exposed, embarrassed, or spoken to as though he was a task?”
Not only: “Has the activity timetable been followed?”
But: “Did anyone notice that he used to be a mechanic, that she misses church, that another resident lights up when Nigerian gospel music plays, or that someone who never joins group activities may still crave one-to-one conversation?”
Care completes the intervention. Lived experience honours the human being inside the intervention.
The Regulatory Direction Is Already Clear
The sector should not treat lived experience as a soft aspiration. It is now central to what quality means. The Care Quality Commission’s current assessment approach is built around whether services are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Its quality statements expect providers to demonstrate person-centred, dignified, responsive care that is shaped by what matters to people, not merely by what is convenient for systems. This is important because lived experience is not an optional extra added after compliance. It is the evidence that compliance has reached the person.
Regulation 9 on person-centred care requires care and treatment to meet needs and reflect preferences. Regulation 10 on dignity and respect requires people to be treated with dignity at all times. These are not decorative standards. They are operational, cultural and moral requirements.
The weakness in many services is not that leaders do not know the regulations. It is that they translate them too narrowly. They mistake “person-centred care” for having a completed care plan with preferences listed inside it. But a preference written down and then ignored is not person-centred care. A “This Is Me” document buried in a file is not lived experience. A keyworker system that does not produce emotional continuity is only a structure, not a relationship. A good lived experience happens when documented knowledge becomes daily behaviour.
The Human Difference Is Often Found in Micro-Moments
The difference between care and lived experience is rarely found in grand gestures. It is found in micro-moments repeated consistently.
It is in knocking before entering, even when someone may not respond.
It is in explaining what is happening before touching someone’s body.
It is in knowing that a resident prefers tea strong, not because it is written in the care plan, but because someone cared enough to remember.
It is in noticing when a person’s silence is not contentment but withdrawal.
It is in supporting someone to choose their own clothing, even when it takes longer.
It is in refusing to speak over a person in front of professionals.
It is in understanding that “challenging behaviour” may be grief, trauma, fear, sensory overload, pain or the final remaining form of control.
These moments do not always require more money. They require leadership, training, emotional intelligence and moral discipline.
A rushed culture produces rushed care. A fearful culture produces defensive documentation. A task-led culture produces institutional habits, even in beautiful buildings. A loving, well-led and accountable culture produces something different: an environment where people are not simply kept alive, but enabled to feel that their life still belongs to them.
Workforce Experience Shapes Resident Experience
We cannot discuss lived experience honestly without discussing the workforce.
A depleted, undertrained, unsupported workforce cannot consistently deliver emotionally intelligent care. Staff who feel unseen often struggle to see others fully. Staff who are treated as replaceable labour may begin, unconsciously, to deliver replaceable interactions. This is not an excuse for poor practice. It is a leadership warning.
If providers want better lived experience for residents, they must design better working conditions for staff: proper induction, reflective supervision, trauma-informed training, cultural competence, safe staffing, clear escalation pathways and managers who do not only audit paperwork but observe relational practice.
The care worker is often the person who creates the lived experience hour by hour. Yet too often, the sector underestimates the intellectual and emotional complexity of the role. Supporting someone with dementia, autism, mental health needs, acquired disability, frailty or end-of-life anxiety requires far more than kindness. It requires judgement, restraint, patience, communication skill and the ability to interpret human distress without reducing it to inconvenience. If we want staff to deliver good lived experience, we must equip them to understand the person beyond the presentation.
Culture Must Be Designed, Not Assumed
Many care organisations say they are caring. Fewer can prove how that care is embedded. Culture is not what is written on the wall. It is what happens when no senior manager is watching. A good lived experience requires leaders to design culture deliberately. That means asking uncomfortable questions:
- Do our rotas allow time for relationship, or only task completion?
- Do our audits measure dignity, choice and emotional wellbeing, or only documentation?
- Do complaints lead to learning, or defensiveness?
- Do families feel respected as partners, or tolerated as interruptions?
- Do residents influence decisions, or are they merely consulted after decisions have already been made?
- Do we understand cultural identity, faith, language, food, hair, skin, disability and family structure as core to wellbeing, or as “additional preferences”?
- Do we treat people’s rooms as their homes, or as workplaces we control?
If the answer is weak, the service may be delivering care, but it is not yet delivering a good lived experience.
Technology Should Support Humanity, Not Replace It
Digital systems, when well designed, can strengthen care. They can improve continuity, reduce missed information, identify patterns and support governance. I believe deeply in the role of care technology because I have seen the consequences of fragmented systems. But technology must never become a substitute for presence.
A digital care record can tell us that someone refused breakfast. It cannot, by itself, tell us whether they felt depressed, unheard, nauseous, frightened, embarrassed, or simply tired of being offered food they do not enjoy. That requires human curiosity.
The future of care should not be technology versus compassion. It should be technology in service of compassion. The best systems should free staff to know people better, respond faster, evidence more intelligently and prevent people from becoming lost inside institutional routines. Technology should help us ask better human questions.
Lived Experience Is a Leadership Standard
Ultimately, the quality of lived experience in a care setting is a leadership outcome.
Leaders set the tone for whether people are seen as individuals or packages of need. Leaders decide whether dignity is audited seriously. Leaders determine whether staff are trained merely to comply or developed to think. Leaders choose whether the organisation listens to people with humility or protects itself with polished language.
In care, leadership is not proved in board papers alone. It is proved in the dining room, the night shift, the medication round, the handover, the family meeting, the safeguarding response and the way a resident is spoken to when they are distressed, repetitive, resistant or afraid.
The highest standard is not perfection. Care is complex, and human services will always face pressure. The standard is whether the provider is awake, honest, reflective and relentless in improving the person’s actual experience.
From Service Delivery to Life Delivery
The future of social care must move beyond the narrow language of provision. We are not simply delivering care packages. We are entering people’s homes, bedrooms, routines, histories, griefs, identities and futures. That demands reverence.
A good lived experience is created when people feel safe without feeling controlled, supported without feeling diminished, known without feeling exposed, and cared for without feeling that their personhood has been swallowed by their needs. This is the work.
Not only to help someone get up, but to give them a reason to want to.
Not only to prevent harm, but to preserve hope.
Not only to meet assessed needs, but to honour the life behind those needs.
Not only to deliver care, but to deliver conditions in which a person can still experience dignity, agency, connection and joy.
The difference between care and a good lived experience is the difference between doing things to people and building life with them. The sector cannot afford to confuse the two.
About Pauline Vuyelwa Muswere-Enagbonma
Co- Founder and Group Chief Executive, Jessamy Care Ecosystem
Founder of JessamyCareOne | Master British Certified Trainer | Social Care Reformer
https://www.jessamystaffing.co.uk/
Pauline Vuyelwa Muswere-Enagbonma is the Co-Founder and Group Chief Executive of the Jessamy ecosystem, which sits within Jessamy Platinum Holdings Limited. The group includes ventures across staffing, regulated care, supported accommodation, children’s services, community transport, professional training and care technology.
Founded in 2020 from Jessamy Staffing Solutions, the ecosystem has grown into an integrated model that includes Jessamy Staffing Solutions, Jessamy Platinum Homecare, Jessamy Platinum Homes, Lumina Pathways CIC, Jessamy Transport Services and JessamyCareOne.
Pauline is a Master British Certified Trainer and CPD-accredited professional. Her work focuses on social care reform, workforce development, ethical care technology, trauma-informed care and improved life chances for children, adults and families.
Pauline’s leadership philosophy, The Discipline of Grace, reframes governance as responsibility grounded in kindness, love, care, integrity and accountability.
When quality matters most: why more care facilities are offering premium dining experiences for their residents
A transformation is happening in the kitchens and dining areas of care facilities across the UK. Rather than simply providing food and drink to keep residents fed and hydrated, providers are beginning to focus more on the variety and quality of the dishes on offer – and a growing number of high-end settings are offering premium dining experiences akin to that of a top-class restaurant or hotel, with some notable locations even hiring Michelin-starred chefs to curate their cuisine.
Naturally, financial considerations must be brought into the mix when considering how to structure menus; but, especially among the increasing number of providers selling the dream of luxury living in later years, their nutritional offering is geared towards high-quality ingredients, wide-ranging options, and meals which are more fantastic than functional.
Premium living, premium dining
Care provision as we know it is changing, with strong growth in the high-end segment of the market, where residents receive service and amenities mirroring a boutique hotel or private members’ club rather than a traditional healthcare setting. Spas, gyms, cinema rooms and concierges have become commonplace in these settings, and those which operate on an ‘independent living’ basis (where the person buys or rents their own accommodation within a location, and receives a level of care to match their requirements – ranging from minimal to high-acuity) are more akin to gated communities than care homes.
Given these locations often have premium price tags attached to their premium provision, it is only natural that every detail has been thoughtfully curated - not only the spaces such as the dining and socialising rooms, but also the food and drink being served too. And it is not just the premium end of the industry making this move towards restaurant-style settings, quality ingredients, and a wider variety of options: as our understanding about the importance of food beyond its nutritional make-up increases, so too does the desire to ensure mealtimes are a pleasant experience in all residential care facilities.
Expectations shifting across the sector
A freshly-prepared meal, multiple tempting dishes to choose between at each mealtime, and quality ingredients which collectively provide a balanced diet are now the norm within care. But for many providers, it is not about simply offering ‘standard’. No matter the cost challenges associated with rising food prices, supply chain disruptions, and the wider economic outlook, there is a real desire across the sector to enhance choice and taste.
Recipes which may once have been considered ‘global cuisine’ have now become standard dishes for the UK population – meaning experimental flavours, exotic ingredients and innovative combinations have a firm place alongside more traditional meals. Comforting favourites (especially those which evoke memories for older residents) like roast dinners, cottage pies and casseroles may not have disappeared from the menu yet, but in 2026 we are more likely than ever to see them listed alongside meals lovingly adopted from across the globe like tikka masala, Thai curry or a stir fry.
The key of course, is offering a wealth of options for residents whilst also ensuring that ingredients do not go to waste and that the total number of different products needed across the entire menu does not become unwieldly, either in quantity or price.
Sourcing supplies
For providers, being able to procure more premium ingredients without blowing the budget ultimately comes down to forging strong relationships with suppliers. Long-term partnerships often give rise to the kind of two-way communication which helps catering teams glean insights. These can help them shape menus around ingredients which have plentiful availability and are higher in quality, as well as sustainable and seasonal options, and plant-based alternatives (which are currently sought-after whilst also being more affordable) such as lentil, bean or soy products which can be offered alongside animal-based protein choices.
Ultimately, while the premium end of the care market may be showing strong growth, there are still plenty of more traditional residential providers for whom financial considerations may limit their ability to hire a well-known chef, source extravagant ingredients, or style their dining area like a Michelin-starred restaurant. Yet these settings are still able to provide quality and choice, with careful planning, supply chain optimisation, and a determination to offer not just a meal, but a proper dining experience for all their residents.
The Importance of Nutrition Later in Life
As expectations around later-life care continue to evolve, nutrition is increasingly recognised as one of the most powerful tools for supporting health, independence and quality of life. White Oaks Dietitian, Valentina Giannelli, explains why senior living catering needs to move beyond simply meeting nutritional requirements towards innovation and smarter, practical digital solutions.
Why is nutrition so important as people get older?
Good nutrition plays a key role in maintaining strength, independence, energy, cognition and overall health as we age. Yet despite this, research shows that people over the age of 65 are facing ongoing challenges with both malnutrition and dehydration.
In care settings, one in two older people is at risk of malnutrition, while one in four is at risk of dehydration, simply because they don’t eat and drink well enough₁.
What are the key nutrition areas?
The top priority nutrition areas for senior living are protein, hydration, calcium, fibre, and vitamin B12.
Protein needs increase significantly with age, by around 50% compared to younger adults. Protein plays a key role in supporting muscle strength, balance and independence, as well as immune function, recovery, and wound healing.
Hydration is very important as older adults tend to drink less and are prone to dehydration, which can cause UTI, falls and confusion.
Fibre is crucial for digestion and gut health, with growing evidence of the gut–brain connection, in which gut health can influence mood and cognition. Bone health remains important, and B12 becomes more relevant as absorption reduces with age.
What are the challenges?
One of the biggest challenges is that as we age, appetite decreases, and the portions people eat get smaller. For catering teams, it’s about understanding the importance of these nutrients and delivering enough of it in smaller, more palatable portions, within menus that residents enjoy. This requires strategic thinking and nutritional expertise.
The body's thirst mechanism also becomes less sensitive with age. Residents may be clinically dehydrated without feeling thirsty at all. Over 65, the target is to drink 3 to 3.5 pints of fluids per day. But if thirst has declined and drinks are uninspiring, intake can easily drop well below what the body needs to function safely.
We’re also seeing rising complexity in the people supported in care homes, with an increasing rate of people living in frailty and with multiple long-term conditions. Around one in two older adults live with multiple long-term conditions, and 10% of people over 65 live with frailty, increasing up to 50% for those over 85.₂
A recent report from Lakeland Dairies₃ looked at what is happening in care kitchens. Almost half of the catering teams reported increased complexity in residents’ needs, and 74% were concerned about meeting them.
The big challenge is not knowing what people need, but how to deliver it so it is consumed and helps people to meet their needs. It’s not a one size fits all solution and there are a lot of considerations to make, including medications and cultural requirements.
What are the solutions?
Innovation is key at White Oaks.
We are constantly evolving our sources of nutrition and hydration. An example of this is the introduction of wild venison. Venison provides around 22g of protein per 100g, is naturally lean, rich in iron and B vitamins, and significantly lower in saturated fat than equivalent cuts of beef. Venison also works in the traditional dishes we know residents love, such as stews, pies, and lasagne. We adapt tried-and-tested concepts, improving the nutritional value of the meals people already look forward to.
For calcium, we factor in nutrient-dense desserts, such as rice pudding and cheesecake, and always have cheese and biscuits available. Fortified milk or milkshakes with skimmed powder can also provide extra protein and calcium - and they’re a source of fluid too.
When it comes to hydration, the response must be proactive rather than reactive. Structured drink rounds, variety in what is offered, and an appreciation that all fluids - including soups, juicy fruits, teas and smoothies - can meaningfully shift daily intake.
How important is the dining experience?
The dining experience in a later-life care is far more than simply providing meals; it’s a vital opportunity to support nutritional wellbeing and create meaningful social engagement.
When residents enjoy meals in an environment suited to them, they’re more likely to eat adequately and experience improved overall health outcomes. Communal dining encourages conversation, reduces feelings of loneliness, and helps preserve a sense of routine and dignity.
How does innovation work in the kitchen?
The increased complexity in dietary needs can be challenging for catering teams, so as menus adapt, they must also be practical and achievable in real kitchens in care settings.
This is where White Oaks’ digital platform can help. We use innovative tools that instantly calculate nutrition and calorie content, flag allergens, support nutritional analysis, and help identify gaps that can be addressed with practical solutions – all while making sure menus meet best practices and residents’ requirements.
How do digital platforms help?
Earlier this year, White Oaks launched its first procurement service, Catering Procurement Plus, in partnership with Compass’ procurement business, Foodbuy UK.
The service reflects White Oaks’ holistic approach to solving these challenges, combining digital technology, quality ingredients from a trusted network of suppliers, and expert support from our chefs, dietitians and catering specialists.
The food service procurement platform automates and streamlines menu planning, ordering, stock control, and dietary management, providing access to nutritional and allergen data to help teams save time, stay compliant, and plan menus with confidence.
Along with satisfied and better-nourished residents, the result is lower costs, time efficiencies, reduced waste, and stronger compliance, without the additional expense and complexity of outsourcing the service.
₁Malnutrition -British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN) 2022. Dehydration: University of East Anglia (2023).
₂ Multiple conditions: Age UK (2019), Later Life in the United Kingdom Factsheet. Frailty: NIHR (2024)
₃Lakeland Dairies, The Care Kitchen Reset: The Future of Care Catering (2026)
Why Wellbeing Must Be at the Heart of Modern Care Homes
Signature Senior Lifestyle outlines why embedding wellbeing into every aspect of care is essential to improving health, independence and long-term outcomes for residents.
For many years, social care has rightly focused on delivering safe, effective and compassionate care. Yet as expectations evolve and people live longer, the sector faces an important challenge: how do we move beyond simply caring for people to helping them truly live well?
At Signature Senior Lifestyle, we believe wellbeing should sit at the heart of everything we do. Not as an additional service or a programme that sits alongside care, but as the foundation upon which exceptional care is built.
When families begin searching for a care home, they are often driven by a specific need: increasing frailty, a dementia diagnosis or a hospital discharge. Once that need has been addressed, the question quickly becomes much broader: how can their loved one continue to enjoy life, maintain independence and find purpose?
The answer lies in wellbeing, and the evidence is compelling. Older adults with the strongest sense of purpose have a 46% lower mortality risk over four years, while strong social ties are linked to a 50% greater likelihood of longevity. Grip strength is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular death than blood pressure. Losing just one hour of sleep is associated with a 25% increase in cardiac events. And with one in three older adults admitted to UK care homes at medium or high risk of malnutrition, nutrition can never be an afterthought. These are not soft measures. They are matters of health, longevity and quality of life.
This thinking has shaped Signature's new Wellness Strategy, built on four foundations. Active Lifestyle focuses on strength, mobility and freedom, supported by our purpose-built wellness studios and a complimentary physiotherapist-led mobility assessment for every new resident. Meaningful Living centres on purpose, connection and growth, with programmes shaped by each person's life story rather than generic provision. Culinary Vitality celebrates nutrition, flavour and joy, from nutritionally assessed menus to monthly signature dining events, recognising that sharing meals predicts life satisfaction as strongly as income. Rest and Renewal acknowledges that a vibrant day begins with a peaceful night, with every resident offered a personal sleep assessment and daily opportunities for relaxation.
Importantly, wellbeing is not a one-size-fits-all concept. For one resident, it may be regaining confidence after illness. For another, it may be reconnecting with a lifelong hobby, building new friendships or enjoying a favourite meal shared with family. Our role is to understand what matters most to each individual and support them in achieving it.
Moving into a Signature home should not mean pressing pause on life. It should mean pressing play, with more support and vibrancy than ever before.
The future of care is not simply about extending life. It is about enhancing it. Because wellness is not an event. It is the way we live.
Hastings Care Home Workers Raise Over £500 for Cancer Research UK
Staff members at Ponbay Lodge care home in Hastings raised £575 during the Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.
Donned in pink, Wendy Bennett (Lifestyle Assistant) and Mandy Dawson (Care Assistant) completed the 3K race, while Graham Liley (Chef) completed a 5K race in support of breast cancer research.
Supporting their own, Ponbay Lodge residents and team members decorated the home with balloons and bunting to cheer the trio on.
Care Assistant Wendy said, “I have friends and family who have been affected by cancer, so doing the Race for Life means a lot to me. It was a challenge for me, but I’m so happy I did it.
“Next year, I plan to beat my time and raise even more money for Cancer Research UK. Thank you to everyone who donated and offered support!”
Zac Hampshire-Jones, the General Manager at Ponbay Lodge, added, “Everyone at Ponbay Lodge is incredibly proud of Wendy, Mandy, and Graham. They have raised an amazing amount of money for Cancer Research UK, a life-saving charity.”
You can find out more about charity initiatives and community work at Ponbay Lodge during the home’s weekly Tea on Tuesday event, where all are welcome from 10:30AM to enjoy refreshments and freshly baked treats with the residents. Tea on Tuesday takes place at Ponbay Lodge on The Ridge, Hastings, TN34 2AE.
Martello Manor Welcomes First Founding Residents
Martello Manor by Boutique Care Homes is officially open. On Monday 22 June 2026, one of Kent's most anticipated new care homes welcomed its first residents through the doors, with the full team on hand to greet them and their families as they arrived home for the very first time.
Margaret and Joan have the honour of being Martello Manor's founding residents, the first of many whose lives will be shaped by everything this home has been built to offer. Their arrival marks the moment months of preparation, community engagement, and anticipation became a lived reality.
The day began with a blessing of the home, led by Reverend Michael Darkins, Vicar of St Leonards Hythe, and Reverend Dr Anderson Yan Oakley, Organ Scholar: a meaningful start to a day the whole team had been working towards for months.
Then came the moment that will not be forgotten quickly. As Joan approached the entrance, team and families lined both sides of the doorway and broke into applause. A gold ribbon stretched across the threshold. She cut it herself, entering the home to cheers from everyone around her, and raised her arms in celebration. It was, by any measure, the right way to open a home.
Inside, the warmth continued. Marlene Abreu, Home Manager, was there to welcome her personally, the same care and attention that will define every day at Martello Manor already on full display. Families who had spent weeks, sometimes months, navigating the transition to residential care found themselves not in a clinical institution, but in a home: warm, beautifully designed, and staffed by people who were genuinely delighted to have them there.
The opening is a milestone for Boutique Care Homes and for Hythe. Martello Manor has been designed from the ground up to offer something the area has not had before: premium residential and dementia care that feels nothing like a care home should, in a building purpose-built to make life genuinely good for the people who live in it.
Marlene Abreu said: "Today is the day everything we have been working towards becomes real. Every decision we have made about the home, the team, the way we do things, has been made with our residents in mind. Welcoming our first residents through the doors is one of the proudest moments of my career, and it is just the beginning."
Ameet Kotecha, Founder and Managing Director of Boutique Care Homes, said: "We set out to prove that care can be unexpectedly good, that it can feel warm, dignified, and full of life. Martello Manor is the finest expression of that belief we have built yet. Hythe deserves this, and we are honoured to be here."
Martello Manor offers residential care, specialist dementia support through Boutique Care Homes' Nostalgia Care programme, and short-stay respite care. Residents benefit from a dedicated Life Enrichment Programme, fresh meals prepared daily by an on-site chef, ensuite bedrooms, landscaped gardens, a bistro, cinema, and hair salon. The home sits at the heart of the Hythe community, with established partnerships already in place with Hythe Town Football Club, the Royal British Legion Hythe and Saltwood Branch, and the Hythe Dementia Awareness Forum.
For more information or to arrange a visit, contact the Martello Manor team at www.martellomanor.care.