New Mental Health Acts

New ParagraphThe Older Persons Highrise (OPHR) team undertook a collaborative project with Star Health Dietitian, Marina, from February to June 2022. The project included three tiers of targeted interventions to improve the nutritional status of tenants:

1. Engaging displays of nutrition resources in the high rise foyers;

2. Group sessions for tenants experiencing barriers to service access;

3. One-on-one consultation with the Dietitian.

One of the objectives of the project was to identify the barriers tenants experience in accessing healthy food options. A needs analysis was created in collaboration with our Health Literacy Committee, which identified:

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  • Tenants’ nutrition needs
  • Preferred method of communication for nutrition information
  • Barriers that prevented tenants from accessing healthy food (including poor dentition, chronic illness and food intolerances, lack of appropriate cooking facilities, cognitive and visual impairment, poor manual dexterity, reduced mobility and financial hardship)

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Fortnightly group sessions were established, during which two recipes were selected for demonstration. These recipes met the ‘cheap, healthy and easy to prepare’ criteria. There were high levels of engagement at the group sessions with all tenants participating in the meal preparation. 

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An OPHR staff member designed recipe cards which included a cost breakdown of the ingredients. The recipe cards were used during the sessions and given to tenants to take home. Participants engaged in discussion that addressed various themes and questions based on the needs and preferences of the group. Several referrals (including podiatry and OT) resulted from the sessions and discussions, building on our model of integrated care.

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Tenants reported improvements in both their knowledge of nutrition, and confidence preparing healthy meals from the sessions and displays. Participants also expressed feeling more comfortable with the idea of seeing a Dietitian in the future and understood that OPHR staff could refer them if they required support with this. The project promoted capacity building and embedded sustainability, with the OPHR team continuing elements of the nutrition sessions beyond Marina’s tenure.


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