Meal Time Experience Checklist

This mealtime experience checklist helps care teams in residential and aged care settings evaluate and improve the dining experience for residents. It covers preparation steps such as updating menu choices, supporting hand hygiene, ensuring a clean dining area, setting visually appropriate tables, and arranging suitable seating with adaptive utensils as needed. During the meal, it guides observations on minimizing distractions, supporting residents with dysphagia, following risk assessments and food texture requirements, offering visual choices, encouraging independence with respectful assistance, and maintaining dignified interactions. It prompts checks on hydration, offering additional portions and alternatives, gauging enjoyment and preferences, pacing service appropriately, avoiding rushing, and recognizing when residents have eaten enough. It also includes good practice for clearing plates, timing desserts, and monitoring returned food to inform improvements. This template is an example only and not a substitute for professional advice.