At St Luke’s, we are committed to developing the care we provide to ensure that our nursing care residents can savour all the joys life has to offer, whilst still receiving the highest standards of care needed to meet their individual medical needs.
Led by our Head Chef, Emily, the catering team at St Luke’s recently developed a selection of new dishes tailored for residents who require a modified, soft and pureed diet – primarily due to swallowing difficulties. Emily spoke with residents and discovered that the dishes they missed most were sandwiches and biscuits — especially the latter, which they hoped to be able to dunk into warm drinks.
Emily then spoke with our local Speech and Language team to address the residents’ requests and together they identified the need for Level 4 food options to be introduced. The Level 4 diet framework is established by The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI), a global initiative aimed at enhancing the lives of individuals living with dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) by categorising dietary requirements based on food and fluid consistency. The IDDSI framework consists of levels that describe food textures and drink thickness, with Level 4 designated for puréed foods and extremely thick drinks.
Thanks to the support and guidance provided by the Speech and Language Team, Emily has been able to create a variety of Level 4 sandwiches and biscuits for residents to enjoy safely.These new dishes have not only enhanced the lives of individual residents, but also renewed the sense of community within the home – as all residents can now join to enjoy seemingly simple yet cherished activity of enjoying tea and biscuits together in the conservatory.
A resident at St Luke’s requiring a Level 4 diet, expressed their gratitude. They said:
“I was really worried when I had to switch to a modified diet that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy a biscuit with my cup of tea. However, Emily has worked wonders creating these biscuits, and now I can join my friends in the conservatory for a lovely cup of tea and dunk my biscuits.”
St Luke’s are now working to expand their Level 4 food offering, with Emily keen to introduce different sandwich fillings to meet residents’ preferences.
Rebecca Blackburn, Home Manager at St Luke’s, stated:
“We are incredibly proud of what Emily and our exceptional kitchen team have accomplished. We strive to ensure our residents feel included in every facet of care home life, and the simple pleasure of enjoying a cup of tea and a biscuit plays a significant role in restoring that sense of normalcy. Together, Emily and the team have brought back this simple joy for our residents.”
Mariposa Care are incredibly proud of what St Luke’s has been able to achieve and believe that the introduction of these homemade Level 4 meals perfectly embodies the care homes unwavering commitment to first-class, person-centred care.
