The Country Range Group funded and ran an interactive training session on the 23rd April to provide specialised training and skills to the team at the University Hospitals of Leicester on catering for people with dementia. The unique training day was a standout prize in the Group’s publication, Stir it up magazine’s advent calendar campaign.
With The Alzheimer’s Society estimating that around 70% of care home residents have dementia or severe memory problems, this unique training is becoming increasingly important due to major staff shortages and a growing skills gap across the care catering sector.The special training day was run in conjunction with IDDSI Consultant Andy Cullum and follows the publishing of the Country Range Group’s comprehensive Catering for Dementia Guide last summer that focused on creative solutions to ensure menu inclusivity, nourishment, stimulation and tips to help residents with eating and drinking difficulties.
The interactive day was attended by six NHS catering professionals and featured demonstrations on key areas such as fortification, diet notification sheets/food passports, the IDDSI framework, cooking techniques, waste reduction, IDDSI auditing tools, preparation, storage and dining with dignity.
Rachel Porter, Country Range Group Own Brand Manager, said:
“Dysphagia is something that can affect people of all ages due to a wide range of reasons. It was therefore a privilege to run the special training day and do our small bit to help train and provide skills to a passionate group of NHS caterers. Andy’s training breaks down barriers and gives caterers the confidence to incorporate safely modified meals without specialist ingredients or equipment. With the many challenges faced by caterers in the health and welfare sector such as low funding and skilled staff shortages, coupled with an aging population, training like this is increasingly important and at Country Range Group we want to support this in any way we can.”
IDDSI Consultant Andy Cullum, said:
“Training and education around dementia catering and dysphagia support has never been more important, so it’s fantastic to see Country Range Group continuing to invest in this area and help shine a spotlight on the challenges facing care caterers. The care sector plays such a vital role in supporting some of the most vulnerable people in society, and initiatives like this provide teams with practical skills, confidence and knowledge that can make a real difference to residents’ quality of life. It’s been brilliant to partner with Country Range Group on such an important topic and support a sector that deserves far greater recognition and support.”
If you want to find out more about Andy and the training, he delivers then please visit www.theiddsiguy.com.
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