Maggie Beer Foundation spices up the BaptistCare menu with new Mentor Trainer Program

BaptistCare is proud to have one of its residential aged care homes selected for this year’s highly anticipated Trainer Mentor program with the Maggie Beer Foundation.

BaptistCare Orana residential aged care home, located on the beautiful Central Coast of New South Wales, was handpicked as one of only 120 homes across the country to partner with Maggie Beer and her team in enhancing the resident dining experience. 

Over the course of the next twelve months, the Maggie Beer Foundation’s accredited dieticians and nutritionists will work closely with Orana’s kitchen teams providing education, training, and inspiration across all stages of the catering process. 

Tailoring the experience 

Kicking off in late June, the Mentor Trainer Program began with a five-day intensive course that saw BaptistCare Orana’s kitchen, servery, and lifestyle teams come together with the Maggie Beer Foundation to initiate new and exciting ways of improving the dining experience for residents.  

Much of the guidance and training is tailored to the particular needs of Orana’s resident community, with the Maggie Beer team conducting thorough research into current practices before the program began. 

Michele, Residential Manager at BaptistCare Orana, said this tailored aspect is one of the program’s greatest features.

“The Maggie Beer Foundation spoke in depth to our staff, residents, and their families,” she explains. “They sought feedback and heard about what’s working and where there might be opportunities for improvement. 

“The course they are now delivering has been carefully tailored around those findings, which makes the experience all the more valuable for our Orana community.”

During the 12-month period, BaptistCare Orana teams will receive a monthly visit from the Maggie Beer Foundation’s nutritionists, who will check in with the team and provide further guidance and coaching. But is also only a phone call away for any needed advice.  

Additional training modules are also accessible to the team via a dedicated online learning portal, alongside recipes put together by Maggie Beer’s dietitians and food scientists. 

Learning to think ‘outside the box’

Darren, Head Chef at Orana, said that joining the program has been a breath of fresh air for his team, with the Foundation’s dedicated nutritionist Rachel, encouraging them to think ‘outside of the box’.  

“Some of the ideas have been fantastic,” he said. “For example, encouraging residents to help us set the tables before mealtimes, or fold the napkins, even inviting them to help us pick herbs from our onsite vegetable garden.

“Most residents have always had autonomy over what they eat, and so involving them in this way renews a sense of purpose, independence, and connection when it comes to shared meals.” 

Darren has even pushed for a new chicken coop at Orana, which has been fully supported by the Maggie Beer Foundation team. 

“We’ve just got the go-ahead to have one installed,” he says. “That means fresh eggs every day and lots of resident interaction with the animals – they will love it.” 

A golden opportunity for staff

The program not only offers an enhanced dining experience for Orana’s residents, but also a valuable professional development opportunity for its kitchen staff, some of whom are new to the catering sector, and others who have been serving the residents for decades! 

Sameer, a Care Service Employee who has worked in catering for the last 18 months, said that the program had already taught him so much. 

“It feels like a real privilege to receive coaching by an organisation as prestigious as the Maggie Beer Foundation,” he says. “The team are working right alongside us in the kitchen, which means we can build relationships and easily pick up tips and ideas as we work together.” 

The end goal 

On completion of the twelve-month program, the Orana team will continue their journey with the Maggie Beer team, receiving a highly coveted two-year Maggie Beer Foundation certificate. 

This will provide the home with ongoing access to the Maggie Beer Professional Community, including recipes, professional forums, and updated training modules from accredited nutritionists and dieticians. 

“We’re excited to see what the next twelve months have got in store,” says Darren. “Most importantly, we’re looking forward to seeing the difference this makes for our residents – and you never know – we might just get a visit from Ms Beer herself…” 

The Orana community

BaptistCare Orana residential care home is located in the heart of New South Wales’ beautiful Central Coast in the suburb of Point Clare. 

The team there have been serving older people and their families since 1983. 

Learn more about our services in the Central Coast, here.