Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

CHESTERS () (): The Maggie Beer Foundation has partnered with the Australian government's Department of Health and Aged Care to provide training and mentorship for those working in kitchens in residential aged-care homes. In Australia, sadly, it's estimated that 78 per cent of residents in aged care are malnourished or at risk of malnourishment. This is an appalling statistic that our government is working with the sector to reverse. That is where the Maggie Beer Foundation steps in.

The Maggie Beer Foundation is battling this alarming statistic by running face-to-face training courses for cooks and chefs. Since 2014, it has been providing hands-on experience and peer-to-peer networking, and it now offers an online training module to help those in regional areas like my electorate access the training.

I'm proud to say that, in my own electorate, Heathcote Health has signed up for this program. The program is open to up to 120 aged-care homes and runs until 2025. Jenny from my electorate is one of the head chefs. I met her during my recent visit to the Heathcote Health aged-care facility, and she said that her team has benefited from the program. The new menu has been welcomed by residents and is inspiring others to think about food. The Maggie Beer Foundation is an amazing success, and I encourage other aged-care homes to tap into the program.