Meal Preparation
Nutritious, Familiar Meals Made Safely at Home
As cooking becomes harder—whether from fatigue, pain, memory changes or swallowing difficulties—many older adults start skipping meals or relying on toast, biscuits and snacks. Over time, this can affect health, energy and mood. But needing help in the kitchen doesn’t mean giving up choice, culture or favourite recipes.
Meet Alicia:
Alicia lives alone and has always loved cooking. After a hospital stay, standing at the bench, lifting pots and keeping track of cooking times became overwhelming. She began eating less, mostly cold food, and sometimes forgot to eat altogether. Her son noticed she was losing weight and seemed more tired and flat.
He contacted Summit Health Solutions. We arranged regular Meal Preparation visits—help with peeling and chopping vegetables, safely using cooking utensils and appliances, and preparing simple meals that suited her health needs and long-time favourites. When her speech pathologist recommended texture-modified meals for swallowing difficulties, we followed those recommendations carefully.
Alicia stayed in charge of what she wanted to eat and we simply provided the support to make it happen. Her appetite improved, she had proper meals in the fridge, and her son felt reassured.
Meal Preparation support is ideal for older adults who want to keep enjoying home-cooked meals, but find planning, chopping, cooking or managing special diets increasingly difficult or unsafe.
Our Meal Preparation services align with the Aged Care Quality Standards and the Australian Government’s Support at Home program (which has replaced the previous Home Care Packages system), providing safe, respectful, in-home support.
Is your loved one burning pans, skipping meals or avoiding the stove?
We can help when:
- Standing at the bench or stove is tiring or painful
- Chopping, peeling or opening jars is difficult due to strength, arthritis or coordination issues
- Remembering cooking steps, timers or turning off appliances is becoming a concern
- Meals are becoming less frequent or less nutritious
Does your loved one need meals adapted for health, cultural or swallowing reasons?
We can support with:
- Preparing meals in line with health needs (for example, diabetes-friendly options or low-salt as guided by health professionals)
- Preparing meals for swallowing difficulties using instructions from speech pathologists/dietitians (e.g. texture-modified meals)
- Respecting religious and cultural food practices, including ingredients and preparation methods
- Following written meal plans provided by your health team
(We do not create clinical diet plans, but we can help follow the guidance provided by qualified health professionals.)
Are family members doing most of the cooking and feeling stretched?
Meal Preparation support can:
- Take care of the physical work of preparing meals
- Reduce stress and “meal fatigue” for family carers
- Help ensure your loved one has safe, ready-to-heat meals between visits
If your loved one has been approved for the Australian Government’s Support at Home program, Meal Preparation can often be included as part of their individual Support at Home budget when it supports their health, independence and ability to live at home.
Through Support at Home, funding may be available for:
Summit Health Solutions
If you’re a care manager looking to refer a client or need more information, click here to visit our Care Manager Referral Page. If you're a family member wanting to explore services for your loved one, you can check out our guide to accessing support.
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Speak with our Care Team
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