Aged Care Standards audits for Aged Care Chefs

Posted on Thursday, 24^th March, 2022

The new Aged Care Standards were launched in 2019. With a 36-month accreditation period, facilities are either approaching or undergoing their accreditation and audit processes.

Because the majority of the assessments are unannounced, many Aged Care organisations operate under the premise “if an assessor arrived today - would we be prepared?”

The Standards don’t offer clear guidelines specifically for Chefs. However, Chefs and kitchen staff can always be ready by understanding what the standards are, and what their contribution might be in an assessment.

The chart below is an example of some common tasks undertaken by Chefs which could satisfy certain standards.*

View hi-res version of this graphic here.

At a glance

New Aged Care Standards (See graphic below for details)

Chef Activity	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Interaction with residents about food/open feedback forums	✔	✔		✔		✔
Coordinating meal planning with information from Clinical Staff	✔	✔
Residents are offered a choice of meals at mealtimes	✔			✔
Residents have access to liquids throughout the day to remain hydrated	✔			✔
Demonstrating a working knowledge of IDDSI	✔			✔
Ensuring dining areas are welcoming, safe and easy to access	✔				✔
Valid Food Safety qualifications, training and certification								✔
Ensure food safety records are up to date								✔
Chemical SDS (Safety Data Sheets) are under 5 years of age and readily available.								✔
Correct staffing and staff training for all kitchen staff and dining support							✔
Infection control measures and plans								✔
Up-to-date vaccinations, police checks and professional qualifications								✔

*This list is only a guide and is not professional advice for a New Aged Care Standards assessment.

Download the poster in various languages here.

Free Resources

View the condensed version of the new Aged Care Standards here.

The Government has provided self-assessment tools that can help organisations create seamless processes so they are always ready for an assessment. Find those tools here.

There is also a Quality Standards app which can be downloaded for Android or Apple devices.

Find out more about Aged Care RE:FRESH