Move over meat and three veg., executive chef Craig Etches is transforming meal times at Glengara Care apartments, serving up fine-dining dishes to gourmet-loving residents.
Transforming meal times
Glengara Care residents are enjoying international flavours daily as part of the new menu which includes meals such as braised pork burgers with slaw, prawn laksa, Moroccan lamb pizza and for dessert, vanilla sago with peaches and cinnamon dumplings with caramel sauce and ice cream.
When older Australians and their families are considering care options for their parents, the quality of the food is one of their foremost concerns.
Care manager Suzanne Bosworth said Glengara Care overturned traditional notions.
“We do a lot of things differently at Glengara Care, including the way we approach the menu,’’ she said. “Meal times are a highlight in almost everyone’s life, and we’re passionate about making our menus stand out from traditional aged care facilities on the Central Coast.’’
Doing things differently
Glengara Care’s cuisine is gaining a great reputation, including twice weekly roasts, Friday fish and chip evenings and scrumptious desserts.
The residents even get to have their say on what meals they would like to see on the menu.
Suzanne said Craig made a point to sit down with residents when planning his summer and winter menus. He takes their feedback on board with suggestions for new additions put to a vote, and even adjusted to cater for those with special dietary considerations.
“For the new winter menu, beef stroganoff was a clear winner when it came to what everyone would most like to see on the new menu,” Suzanne said.
Craig is leading the way with his paddock-to-plate approach to cooking and has made it his personal mission to offer residents dishes that could hold their own at any of the Central Coast’s fine dining establishments.
He uses vegetables grown and harvested on site to create the restaurant quality meals – in flavour as well as presentation.
Healthy and happy
Knowing her mum is getting access to delicious, healthy meals at Glengara Care is a major source of comfort for Trudi Bohan.
Trudi helped her mum Jill move into Glengara Care apartments last year and believes it’s one of the best decisions they’ve made.
“It has made a world of difference to mum’s health,’’ Trudi said. “The meals at Glengara Care are wonderful, and I’m happy because I know she is eating well.’’
Trudi’s comments highlight one of the many ways Glengara Care offers a genuine alternative to traditional aged care.
High-quality nutrition is an important building block for good health, and at Glengara Care, we take an extra sense of pride in our menu.
Lunch and dinner are catered for every day while a breakfast pack, featuring a selection of 10 cereals, milk, juice and fruit is delivered to residents’ doors.
Residents are free to dine in the privacy of their own homes, outside in the community’s beautifully landscaped gardens, or mingle with others in the dining room.
“Glengara Care is not like a nursing home,’’ Trudi said. “I can come in and have lunch with mum in her apartment, which has its own dining room, as well as a kitchen and fridge.
“The way the apartment is set up also means she has her own home in which to entertain friends, as well as access to 24-hour help if she ever needs it.’’
Spoilt for choice
Glengara Care offers nursing home level of care on residents’ own terms, which means they can move in with their partner and even bring a pet.
A resident’s apartment is their own private space, with a separate bedroom, bathroom, lounge, kitchenette, dining area and outdoor space.
With a personalised care plan for each resident, support will always be available no matter if their needs change.
