Empowering People Through Active Mealtime Support
Mealtime is an opportunity for engagement, skill development, and social connection. However, for many people with disabilities, choice and involvement in mealtimes can be limited. Evidence shows that active support approaches-where individuals are encouraged and enabled to participate in meaningful activities-improve independence, dignity, and quality of life.
A study published by in the Australian Journal of Social Issues, Dearn et al. (2022) examined the experience of supported participants in Australia, identifying barriers that prevent people from having meaningful involvement in their daily lives. These barriers include:
- Fixed mealtime routines with limited flexibility.
- Lack of opportunities to participate in meal preparation
- Minimal involvement in choosing food and planning meals.
- Reliance on others for grocery shopping and cooking.
This highlights the importance of active participation in mealtimes, ensuring individuals have the support needed to make choices, engage in tasks, and build their skills.
Best Practice in Action: How Care and Connects Supports Active Mealtime Engagement
At Care and Connects, we recognise that every moment has potential. Our team actively supports people to take part in their mealtimes in ways that work for them-whether that’s making choices, preparing food, or developing new skills.
How We Do it:
- Support Schedules: Every participant has a support schedule, ensuring their mealtime choices and preferences are documented and followed. These are reviewed weekly or fortnightly on individual needs.
- House Activity Schedules: Every SIL house has an activity schedule that includes group meal planning and cooking sessions, creating shared experiences while respecting individual preferences.
- Mealtime Management Plans: We refer to personalised Mealtime Management Plans to ensure dietary needs and preferences are incorporated into meal planning and preparation.
- Meal Planning and Shopping Support: Support workers facilitate discussions to help participants choose meals they enjoy, create shopping list, and assist in grocery shopping while encouraging independent decision-making.
- Hands-On Cooking Participation: Participants are actively encouraged to engage in meal preparation, from simple tasks like chopping vegetables to leading meal preparation with just-right support from staff.
- Practice Leadership and Active Support: Our teams are trained in Practice Leadership, ensuring that every participant receives high-quality, person-centered active support. Through shared house meetings, we listed to participants’ meal preferences, introduce new meal ideas, and encourage meaningful engagement in household routines.
Cultural Inclusion in Food Choices: We celebrate diverse culinary traditions, ensuring participants feel connected to their heritage through food.
Good News Story: Debra’s Journey to Meaningful Mealtime Involvement
One of our participants, Debra, expressed a passion for cultural cooking but had not had the opportunity to take an active role in meal preparation. With support and encouragement, our team worked alongside Debra to:
- Plan her meal, choosing a dish she loved.
- Determine the budget for her meals.
- Select ingredients while shopping, making informed decisions.
- Prepare the meal, actively engaging in cooking tasks.
With tailored support, Debra was empowered to take the lead in her mealtime routine. The result? A delicious dish and a growing sense of confidence in her own skills.
Why This Matters: Embedding Active Support in Everyday Life
At Care and Connects, we embed Active Support principles to ensure people are engaged everyday activities, making choices, and developing skills. This approach aligns with National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission (n.d.) and the principles of Choice and Control by:
- Building Independence: Supporting people to take part in tasks at their own level.
- Enhancing Wellbeing: Promoting active engagement in daily routines.
- Encouraging Social Participation: Strengthening skills that foster connection and inclusion.
- Recognising Individual Preferences: Respecting each person’s unique choices and abilities.
By shifting away from passive care models and embedding active support in every interaction, we ensure that every person has the opportunity to engage, contribute, and thrive.
These results have been made possible through Debra’s commitment and the proactive efforts of the support worker team, who have played a key role in her journey by implementing person-centered active support.
Join Us in Creating Meaningful Support
If you or someone you support is interested to know more about Active Mealtime Engagement or is looking for a provider that champions active participation, skill-building and independence, we’d love to connect.
References
Dearn, E., Ramcharan, P., Weller, P., Brophy, L., and Johnson, K. (2022). Supported residential services as a type of “total institution”: Implications for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Australian Journal of Social Issues, 56(4), 566–583. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.233
