Receiving delivered meals under Support at Home

Many of our participants receive delivered meals as an important part of their
Support Plan to address their care needs. The Department of Health, Disability
& Ageing has introduced a new concept called the Meal Obligation for In-home
Aged Care Providers, which means meals and refreshments subsidised by the
Commonwealth must meet new standards and regulations.

This means from 1 November 2025, we are obligated to ensure every meal
provider complies with the government requirements, which increases the due
diligence for us and for the meal provider themselves.

The Meal Obligation includes three key requirements:

1. Meals must meet the needs of older participants
Meals should meet the nutritional needs and dietary requirements of people
aged 65 and over, and importantly they must take into account an older person’s preferences and health issues.

2. Dietitian Assessment
Meals must be assessed by an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) to ensure
they are both nutritious and appetising.

3. Customer feedback opportunities
All meal providers must have a system to enable participants to give feedback, including phone calls, surveys or in-person conversations.
The Meal Obligation doesn’t mean that your individual selection of meals will be under scrutiny – you are encouraged to exercise choice and control over the
food you choose to eat and we will not monitor or seek to influence the decisions you make.

If there are health or other risks involved, we will work with you to ensure your quarterly budget is directed where it is most needed.