Course Code: RGAAACCAT26201
Understanding Aged Care Catering
for Chefs & Cooks
Designed for Chefs and Cooks working in Aged Care, this program builds the skills and knowledge needed to deliver safe, nutritious, and high-quality meals in a care setting, covering food safety, special diets, texture-modified foods, and the unique demands of the aged care standards.
Cook with Purpose in
Aged Care Kitchens
Our program is designed for chefs and cooks in Aged Care, covering everything from food safety and allergen awareness through to IDDSI and texture-modified meal preparation, kitchen compliance, specialty diets, and the Aged Care Quality Standards. Delivered face-to-face or through blended learning, participants work through practical modules covering food safety and hygiene, allergen awareness, specialty and texture-modified diets, front of house compliance, resident interaction, and the Aged Care Quality Standards, with a focus on Standard 6: Food and Nutrition.
Equipping Chefs & Cooks to meet all compliance and regulatory standards in aged care, From IDDSI texture modification to Standard 6 audit requirements and resident-centred communication, your chefs & cooks will have an understanding of cooking for vulnerable people.
Comprehensive Aged Care Specific Training Modules
Basic Kitchen Hygiene
Gloves, food storage, cleaning & sanitising protocols, and labelling to prevent cross-contamination in vulnerable populations.
Allergen Awareness
Identifying common allergens, preventing cross-contamination, allergen labelling, and responding to allergic reactions.
Probe Thermometer Use
Correct use of probe thermometers, temperature danger zones, calibration, and documentation requirements.
Knife Handling & Storage
Safe grip, cutting techniques, hygienic storage, and preventing knife-related injuries and cross-contamination.
Food Safety
Aged Care Food Safety Standards and an introduction to Food Safety Plans — the cornerstone of aged care catering.
Compliance
Regulatory framework, Quality Standards, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, and documentation requirements.
Kitchen Compliance Forms
Temperature monitoring forms, equipment records, corrective action logs compliance forms as legal audit documents.
New Quality Standards & Standard 6
Standard 6 (Food and Nutrition) requirements, resident rights to food choice and dignity, person-centred meal services.
Aged Care Diet Awareness
IDDSI, Diabetes, low-salt, renal, and therapeutic diets, why strict adherence is critical for resident health.
Serving Food
Food presentation, Bain Marie systems, tea trolley, room service, texture-modified foods, and thickened fluids.
IDDSI Framework
Global texture/drink framework(IDDSI levels), fork drip, spoon tilt & finger tests, commercially prepared meals and storage.
Food Culture & Cuisines
Diverse ethnic, cultural, and regional food backgrounds represented among aged care residents.
Resident Communication
Person-centred communication, de-escalation, handling refusal and distress at mealtimes, responding to complaints with empathy.
Understanding Reporting Requirements
When and how to report: changes in eating patterns, food refusal, equipment failures, and food safety incidents.
Service to Vulnerable Persons & Risk
Duty of care, professional boundaries, recognising concerning situations, and reporting to protect resident safety.
Graduates get hands on understanding
of Catering Management in Aged Care
Our program will ensure Chef Managers & Head Chefs can manage and develop staff, managing supply chains, ordering from suppliers and control inventory and budgets, navigate auditing, nutrition quality compliance and general leadership in the kitchen and front of house.
