100% Meal Accuracy | 5x Increase in Resident Satisfaction | 70% Reduction in Staff Workload

At a Glance

Nestled in a peaceful location away from the city’s hustle, this 60-bedded aged care facility in Sydney has been a trusted name for quality care. Surrounded by lush greenery, it offers a serene and comforting environment for its residents. With a strong reputation for reliability, the facility is committed to ensuring the best possible care for the elderly.

To understand how Centrim Life has transformed their dining management, we spoke with Laura Stuart, Facility Manager, Mark Richardson, Nutritionist and Dietary Consultant, and Meredith Lee, Catering Manager at the facility. They shared their experience of tackling catering challenges and the impact of implementing Centrim Life’s solutions.

Challenges, Consequences and Hesitations

Challenges

After a recent expansion that witnessed a significant rise in the number of residents, the facility faced increasing challenges in catering, menu planning, and dining services. Food is a crucial part of all aged care facilities, contributing to both nutrition and overall well-being of its residents. However, administrative lapses such as paperwork mix-ups resulted in residents receiving meals that contained allergens or did not align with their dietary needs. Kitchen staff struggled with last-minute changes, and personalizing meals for each resident became an overwhelming task. The manual processes created inefficiencies and errors, affecting resident satisfaction and operational flow.

“It was chaos at times. We had residents getting the wrong meals, and the kitchen staff were frustrated with orders that came in late. With so many dietary needs to manage, errors were inevitable. We knew we had to fix this before it got worse.” says Laura Stuart.

Consequences

The lack of an efficient dining system led to several negative outcomes:

• Residents were unhappy with limited meal choices and frequent mistakes in their food orders. They also missed the freedom of scanning menus and placing orders on their own.
• Kitchen staff grew frustrated with last-minute dietary changes and disorganized planning.
• Additional manual work was required to take orders from each resident, leading to errors and miscommunication.
• The extra paperwork increased workload for staff, with frequent mix-ups causing compliance issues.
• The facility struggled to align with aged care standard 6 (Nutrition) due to lapses in nutrition and dietary management.

Mark Richardson shares the experience – “We were constantly dealing with complaints about food. The team was stressed, and mistakes were happening too often. More than anything, we were worried about compliance issues and the potential risk to our reputation.”

The Solution

While searching for a solution, the facility came across Centrim Life’s free demo online. The demo provided a detailed walkthrough of how the software could streamline their catering processes. The facility was particularly impressed by:

• Automated menu planning based on residents’ clinical data, ensuring personalized meals.
• A system that allowed residents to select their meals, improving satisfaction.
• A mobile-friendly solution that staff could easily access from anywhere.

Centrim Life worked closely with the facility to integrate the software with existing clinical systems. They also provided comprehensive staff training to ensure a smooth transition. 

Advanced security features ensured that resident data remained private and secure. In addition, the access levels for selected personnel could also be customized. This meant that staff could access clinical data but not financial details of residents. 

With Centrim Life in place, the facility successfully implemented an efficient and error-free dining management system.

Meredith Lee remarks – “We needed something simple and effective. The demo showed us how Centrim Life could automate meal planning and make it easier for our residents to choose their meals. That’s what convinced us.”

Results

The results were immediate and transformative. Residents were pleased with the ability to order meals directly from Centrim Life’s mobile app, whether from their rooms or with the help of caregivers. Family members also got involved, ensuring their loved ones received meals suited to their preferences and dietary needs. Allergic reactions due to food mismatches dropped to zero.

With Centrim Life integrated into the clinical system, meal planning became effortless. The software personalised menus based on dietary restrictions, allergens, and individual preferences, eliminating guesswork and last-minute adjustments. Kitchen staff, who previously struggled with sudden changes, now received meal orders a day in advance, allowing them to prepare stress-free.

Most importantly, the facility appreciated Centrim Life’s responsive customer support. Any queries were addressed promptly, ensuring a smooth transition and continued efficiency.

Laura Sturat affirms – “We knew this would improve meal planning, but we didn’t expect such a big difference so quickly. Residents are happier, and the staff are less stressed. The support from Centrim Life has been fantastic—whenever we had a question, they were there.” 

Conclusion

The aged care facility saw first-hand how the right catering software could streamline operations and improve resident satisfaction. What started as a concern about adaptability turned into a real advantage for both residents and staff. With stress-free meal planning, reduced food complaints, and improved compliance with dietary standards, the decision to implement Centrim Life proved to be a smart one.

“We were hesitant at first, but Centrim Life made the transition easy. The difference has been night and day,” says Laura Stuart. When asked what advice she had for other aged care facilities, she remarks, “We’d absolutely recommend Centrim Life to any aged care provider looking for a better way to manage meals.”

Experience the Centrim Life advantage today with a free demo!