Kafoodle, menu-management and nutrition specialists and winners of the NHS Salford Digital Health Innovation Call, have launched their Kafoodle pilot in partnership with Salford CCG to assess the effect of their innovative meal-planning software on malnutrition within five of the CCG’s care homes.
Tony Ward, Dietitian for the Salford Royal Foundation Trust, says;
“As a dietitian working within care homes I’ve seen first hand how malnourishment can slowly creep up with the signs often being quite subtle and hard to spot. It’s a difficult task to ensure that all the resident's nutritional needs are met and that all of their allergens and special dietary requirements are catered for. Some care homes find this very difficult and they struggle to meet the regulation 14 of the CQC.
When I was introduced to Kafoodle it became quite apparent that this software will tick all the boxes. Kafoodle’s ideas for the future are exciting and I was excited for Salford be the first CCG to develop and implement this innovation. Knowing how it feels to have a family member in a care home I know that I would want to make sure that the food they were eating was always nutritionally complete. Kafoodle will give the care home owners, chefs, care staff, residents and their families full transparency around the food being served. The software will enable care homes to fine-tune their menus to cater for all their residents’ unique requirements whilst ensuring they remain nutritious and cost-effective.”
The Salford CCG project will run for a duration of 12 months across five care homes within the CCG and aims to
- Reduce malnutrition in nursing home residences
- Provide a more standardised approach to nutrition and food data.
- Provide an easily accessible, consistent and dietitian-approved recipe and menu database for care homes.
- Prove time-saving for chefs and staff
- Improve communication throughout the care home team and community
Currently in its opening phase, the project is focusing on the recruitment and preparation of care homes within the Salford CCG. The next phase will involve fine-tuning care home meal plans to help ensure the nutritional needs of their residents are being met.
Kelly Myatt, Clinical Support Manager at the participating Kenyon Lodge Care Home, Abbey Health says;
“My goal is ultimately to ensure that each resident receives high-quality care and support. Nutrition and hydration plays a major role in this and is a high priority for both residents and their significant others. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to work alongside a dietitian within the Salford CCG and Kafoodle innovation project, which enables every one of our residents to receive specialist assessment and management. Although we are only a couple of weeks into the project and the baseline data collection has taken some time, improvements have already been made.”
Tarryn Gorre, CEO and Co-Founder of Kafoodle says:
“It is an honour to be the first food-tech company to be conducting a trial with an NHS CCG and to be given this opportunity to really make a difference to the lives of those living within a care home. I am confident that food-technology can play a large part in reducing malnutrition within the ageing population and this is a fantastic opportunity for all involved. The future of nutrition within healthcare is exciting, and I am very glad that Kafoodle are playing a part in it.”