
Aged Care Standard 6: How Personalized Nutrition Improves Resident Well-Being
Aged Care Standard 6: How Personalized Nutrition Improves Resident Well-Being
Did you know that 68% of residents in Australian aged care facilities are either malnourished or at risk of malnutrition? Nutrition plays a vital role in maintaining health, energy levels, and overall well-being of residents in aged care settings. That’s why Aged Care Standard 6 emphasises the importance of providing meals tailored to individual needs, ensuring every resident receives proper nutrition while enjoying their food.
Centrim Life’s dining management software makes it easier for aged care homes to personalise meal planning. By offering residents choices that suit their preferences and dietary needs, Centrim Life enhances both satisfaction and health outcomes.
What is Aged Care Standard 6?
Aged Care Standard 6 focuses on ensuring aged care residents receive food and drinks that meet their dietary requirements, cultural preferences, and personal choices. It emphasises the importance of variety, hydration, and mealtime enjoyment.
To comply, facilities must cater to different dietary needs. For instance:
- Residents with swallowing difficulties can be offered texture-modified meals
- Low-sodium options can be scheduled for residents with high blood pressure.
Beyond nutrition, meal experiences must be enjoyable, giving residents control over what they eat, thereby creating a sense of dignity and autonomy among aged care residents.

Why is Personalized Meal Planning Important?
Personalised meal planning ensures that residents enjoy their food while receiving the nutrition they need. When meals align with personal preferences, residents are more likely to eat well, stay hydrated, and maintain their health.
Centrim Life enables this process by allowing residents to customise their meals as per the offerings by the aged care home. Whether they prefer their food served hot, less spicy, or sugar-free, Centrim Life ensures these preferences are recorded and honoured. Personal choice enhances the dining experience, reduces food waste, and promotes better nutrition.
How Centrim Life Supports Aged Care Standard 6?
User-Friendly Interface
Centrim Life provides a simple, intuitive interface that makes meal selection easy for residents. Whether they prefer oil-free meals, need to avoid specific vegetables, or follow a vegan diet, they can easily update their preferences. Caregivers and family members can also assist, ensuring every resident gets meals suited to their tastes and dietary needs. This level of customisation enhances the dining experience while supporting nutritional well-being.
Automated Ordering
The most significant benefit of automated ordering is that it helps minimise mistakes in meal delivery. That means, residents consistently receive the meals they prefer. By reducing manual errors, Centrim Life enhances efficiency and accuracy in meal planning.
- Resident independence: Residents can place their own meal orders using the platform, giving them control over their dining experience.
- Staff assistance: Staff can collect meal orders via a mobile app, making it easier for those who need support.
- Family involvement: Approved family members can place orders for their loved ones, ensuring meals meet dietary needs and personal preferences.
Studies show that when residents have the ability to choose from a menu, food service satisfaction increases by up to 30%. Having multiple ordering options empowers residents, enhances their mealtime experience, and ensures they receive meals that are both enjoyable and nutritious.
Real-Time Feedback Mechanism
Centrim Life allows residents to provide instant feedback on their meals. This encourages continuous improvement in dining services. Whether a dish needs adjustments in flavour or texture, staff can quickly adapt based on real-time input.
This aligns with Aged Care Standard 6, which stresses the importance of understanding resident preferences. By actively listening to feedback, aged care homes can enhance mealtime satisfaction and ensure residents consistently enjoy meals.
Nutritional Tracking and Reporting
Tracking nutritional intake is essential in aged care, and Centrim Life makes it effortless. The platform monitors residents’ food consumption, helping staff ensure that meals align with individual health needs.
By tracking eating patterns, staff can identify potential nutritional deficiencies and intervene before issues like malnutrition arise. Customised reporting also enables aged care providers to balance variety, taste, and nutritional value, ensuring meals are both satisfying and beneficial.
Older residents should receive food and drinks that they like – it must be nutritious, appetising, and enjoyable. With Centrim Life, facilities can meet this expectation while improving resident health and satisfaction.

Additional Features Enhancing Meal Experience
Menu Variety
A diverse menu is vital to maintaining resident satisfaction and meeting the requirements of aged care standard 6. Centrim Life simplifies menu planning by offering a rotating selection of meals that cater to various dietary needs:
- Special dietary options: Meals can be customised for vegetarian, gluten-free, and low-sodium diets.
- Extended menu choices: Providing at least 14 days of meal options helps reduce mealtime monotony.
Standard 6 mandates that older people must have access to varied and flavorful meals that are not only nutritionally balanced but also appealing. With Centrim Life, facilities can manage meal rotations, guaranteeing residents access to satisfying, well-balanced meals.
Recipe Management
Centrim Life’s recipe management feature ensures kitchen staff prepare meals consistently and efficiently. This tool standardises ingredient lists and cooking instructions, helping maintain both the quality and taste of meals. By streamlining meal preparation, facilities can serve fresh, nutritional food on time. Consistency in meal quality improves the overall dining experience, making residents look forward to mealtimes.
Engagement in Menu Planning
When residents have a say in their meals, they feel valued and engaged. Centrim Life makes this possible by encouraging residents to share their preferences and suggest menu items. This involvement nurtures a sense of belonging and motivates them to participate in communal dining experiences. By prioritising resident input, aged care facilities can create menus that truly reflect the tastes and cultural backgrounds of their residents.
Monitoring Hydration
Staying hydrated is just as important as eating well, especially for older adults. Dehydration is a common concern in aged care, and regular monitoring helps prevent health complications. Centrim Life tracks residents’ fluid intake, so that they receive adequate hydration throughout the day. With automated hydration tracking, staff can identify patterns, provide timely interventions, and make sure that residents maintain optimal hydration levels.
Creating a Positive Dining Environment
A welcoming dining atmosphere significantly enhances the simple experience of having a meal. Centrim Life supports aged care providers in creating comfortable and social dining spaces where residents can enjoy their meals together. By promoting communal dining and minimising disruptions, the software encourages social interaction and a sense of connection. A positive dining environment also contributes to the emotional and mental well-being of residents, making meals a highlight of their day.
Success Stories from Aged Care Homes
Case Study #1
An aged care facility in Perth adopted Centrim Life to improve meal personalization. The results were remarkable.
Residents, who previously had limited choices, now enjoy meals customized to their tastes and dietary needs. One resident shared that having the ability to request vegan food made her dining experience more enjoyable. The facility also noticed a decline in food waste, as residents were more likely to finish meals they had a say in choosing.
Case Study #2
At an aged care home in Melbourne, tracking residents’ preferences led to improved nutrition and fewer complaints. With Centrim Life’s automated tracking, the kitchen team consistently delivered meals that met both health and taste preferences. Over three months, complaints about meal quality dropped by 40%.
Improve Dining Standards in Your Aged Care Home
satisfaction rates, better nutritional outcomes, and improved compliance with aged care standard 6.
Is your aged care facility ready to experience these benefits? Implementing Centrim Life can help you accomplish it.
Call us today to schedule a free demo!