Ask any aged care resident what they treasure most in their life, and the response is likely to be ‘family’, ‘friendships’, and all the happy memories and events celebrated together, many centred around food.
A ground-breaking Harvard study tracking hundreds of people’s happiness levels since 1938 (almost 80 years) found the happiest people were not the wealthiest, smartest or best looking. Happiness, the study found, was the result of social wellbeing, embracing the community and having close relationships at every stage of life! Those with strong social support experienced less mental deterioration as they aged.
Renowned researchers Dr. John Rowe and Dr Robert Kahn, who wrote the influential and widely applied concept of Successful Aging (1997), found it is our chosen lifestyle factors such as having meaningful engagement with life, a healthy diet, regular exercise and mental stimulation that were the keys to a positive experience and vitality in later life.
Rowe and Kahn’s model views “better than average” ageing as a combination of three components:
- Avoiding disease and disability,
- High cognitive and physical function, and
- Engagement with life.
As residents’ physical and cognitive abilities decline, or they experience disease and disability, the third Successful Aging factor of ‘engagement with life’ becomes even more important. This is why a visit from a friend, participation in a group activity or favourite food can really make their day.
In an aged care home, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, cultural events and special occasions is a simple, yet priceless way older people can have meaningful engagement with life.
Food brings people together
Special events and celebrations usually have one thing in common: food.
If a favourite dessert can brighten a resident’s afternoon, a beautifully-decorated birthday cake topped with a festival of candles, a dining room filled with streamers and smiling family, fellow residents and staff can bring enough joy to last a whole week.
Declining cognitive and physical health should not diminish residents’ involvement in special events. Looking forward to an upcoming special event may have an encouraging effect on their wellbeing and ability to participate.
We have a large collection of delicious recipes, specially developed for aged care needs and menus. Make sure to check it out.
Aged Care Recipes | Inspiring food service recipes for Australia
Celebrate special occasions
Celebrating major milestones such as 90th or 100th birthdays and coming together as a community to mark such a special event is treasured by everyone. Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and culturally-specific events can be wonderful life-enriching experiences for residents, made special with party food, festive atmosphere, and some fun, engaging activity to get everyone involved.
Aged care chefs can influence residents' quality of life and foster meaningful engagement by marking special events with meals consisting of favourite foods and desserts. It only takes a little bit of forward planning and communication with family and other residents about what matters most to a particular resident to prepare their favourite food and drink and make it a celebration to treasure.
The themed events section of our website is filled with ideas and tips for events your residents will love. Also included are free-to-download and printable menu templates and table talkers to accompany each event. Make sure to check regularly for newly added events.
Disclaimer: The content of this article is created for inspiration purposes only. It is not intended as clinical, medical or nutritional advice.
