Standard 6 of 7 · 9 min
Standard 6: Food and nutrition
What this standard is about
Standard 6 covers food, drink and the dining experience: honouring preferences and culture, keeping meals safe, and noticing and reporting changes in what someone is eating or drinking.
Key ideas
- Food and drink preferences are part of dignity and identity, not just nutrition.
- Nutrition and hydration matter for wellbeing, comfort and safety.
- Cultural and personal preferences should genuinely shape what's offered.
- The dining experience itself, not just the food, affects quality of life.
- Allergies and risks need to be known and respected every time, not just remembered once.
- General awareness of texture-modified diets, at an everyday level, not a clinical one.
- Supporting choice and dignity during meals, including pace and assistance.
- Reporting changes in intake promptly.
- Following advice from appropriately qualified professionals, such as dietitians and speech pathologists.
Practical workplace examples
- Checking an allergy or texture-modification note before serving, every time, not just when it's a new resident.
- Offering a culturally familiar meal option instead of assuming everyone wants the same menu.
- Sitting with, not rushing, someone who eats more slowly.
- Noticing someone has eaten very little for a couple of meals in a row and reporting it.
Video
Video coming soon
A short explainer on why mealtimes are about more than nutrition, and what to notice and report.
Transcript
This video is in production. Read the script below instead — it will become the video's caption and transcript once the video is added.
A meal is rarely just about nutrients. It can be one of the most social, culturally meaningful moments of someone's day, and Standard 6 treats it that way.
Safety still matters enormously: allergies, choking risk and texture requirements need to be checked every time, without exception, because a missed check can cause real harm.
If someone is eating or drinking less than usual, that is worth reporting rather than assuming it will pass. This lesson gives general awareness only — it does not replace advice from a dietitian, speech pathologist or other qualified professional.
Scenario
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Try it in practice
Next mealtime, notice one thing about how the dining experience feels for the people you're supporting, beyond the food itself.
Reflect
This goes into your downloadable action plan. It is private to you and is not marked.
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