With the introduction of the Food Act 2014and the requirement for most aged care facilities to have registered their food control plan (FCP) by March 2018, I thought I would write this article on a common kitchen practice that will require review.
FCP’s are included in the policy and procedure documentation provided by HCSL specifically designed for residential care facilities.
In many facilities the main meal is served in the middle of the day and the tea meal served at night. The main cook of the day will prepare the tea meal earlier in the afternoon, and then finish his or her shift. The tea meal will be reheated by the afternoon staff and served to the residents.
The process of cooking, cooling and reheating requires careful control of the food safety risk. Many tea options are protein or carbohydrate based; macaroni cheese, egg dishes, savoury mince, chicken options – all of which are high risk foods for bacteria growth.
Foods need to be cooled quickly to avoid time and temperature abuse, which may allow bacteria growth. The guidelines state that when cooling hot cooked foods, the food must cool to at least 21° within the first two hours, and then cool to below 5° in four more hours. Overall, the food must be out of the danger zone (between 5°C and 60°C) within six hours.
A functioning chiller should allow cooked foods to cool within this timeframe. Using domestic fridges that are overcrowded, may mean the cooling guidelines are not met. Using shallow dishes rather than large deep dishes will also allow foods to cool faster.
The food control plan will specify the process the site kitchen must follow with regards to cooling of cooked food. Temperatures during cooling will need to be checked and recorded to ensure the time / temperature targets are met.
Prior to serving, the food must be reheated to above 75°C.
Some sites choose to hold the prepared food hot until service. Food must be held hot at a temperature of at least 60°C, usually in a bain-marie or oven at 70°C. Any food held below 60°C for more than 2 hours, must be thrown out. Note that holding foods hot for this period of time may affect the food quality.
Main Points:
Food safety risk with cooling and reheating foods must be managed with FCP
Cool cooked food to below 21°C in 2 hours and below 5°C in 4 hours
Reheat foods to above 75°C before service
Hold hot prepared foods at 60°C or more
Document food temperatures and any corrective action
Review corrective action implementation to ensure they have been effective
“I was referred to Gillian Robinson (HSCL) through a colleague as I knew I needed expertise help when starting out in the aged care industry. Little did I know I would get the best!
Working alongside someone as passionate as Gillian is a privilege which reflects the level of commitment she makes to you as a client. From the phone calls and emails, to the training sessions, to the continuous improvement guidance and depth of knowledge that is implemented in our system. I can’t thank Gillian enough for her support and have no hesitation in recommending her services to anybody in the healthcare sector.
She knows this industry inside and out and has played a pivotal role in our success as an organisation”.
As facility managers we know all too well the time consuming task of writing implementing and updating policy / procedure manuals.
Back in 2013 with the opening of Park Lane looming and my “to do list” growing by the day, I remembered hearing about a lady called “Gillian Robinson” who could provide facility specific policy / procedure manuals and also support us in obtaining Ministry of Health certification.
Following my first meeting with Gillian I was very impressed by her positive and professional manner. During our meeting it soon became evident Gillian is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the Aged Care Sector and achieving quality outcomes.
I left that meeting feeling refreshed and invigorated – ready to attack my “to do list”.
Gillian not only provided facility specific and user friendly policy / procedure manuals, she also supported us during the implementation period ensuring we met Ministry of Health audit requirements.
Gillian is truly a “book of knowledge” and most importantly she is approachable and always willing to share her knowledge. For Gillian there is never a silly question.
Having Gillian’s expertise on board has been a great asset not only at management level but also for our clinical care team.
If you are looking for a healthcare consultant who is professional, supportive, knowledgeable and accessible I would highly recommend Gillian Robinson of Healthcare Compliance Solutions Ltd.
I remember years and years ago hearing about the coming of the paperless society! Do you recall that? Have we achieved it? If anything, we’re surrounded by more and more paperwork. I receive enquiries on a regular basis from disgruntled nurses that are bogged down in paperwork and wanting to know if there is a simpler way to do things that will allow them time to get back to hands-on nursing; spending time with their residents.
I’m more than happy to help you with freeing up your time and still achieve all the necessities of documenting service provision. One way to do this is using smart computer software. I realise that up until recently our industry has not been ready for this however with the surge in uses of Facebook and other social networking sites, computers are not as intimidating as they once were!
I’m committed to getting your nurses back on the floor while working on the basis of continuous improvement and providing excellence in care based on evidence based practice. In order to help me develop the tools you need I’d appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete this quick and simple survey.
The Health and Disability Services Standards 2008 come into effect on 1 June 2009. They replace the Health and Disability Standards 2001.
These are largely revised Standards rather than new Standards and are focused on outcomes for consumers.
In the main, changes involve updates or amendments designed to reduce duplication in the Standards and provide greater clarity and consistency. Therefore providers who are compliant with the current Standards can anticipate they will have few issues becoming compliant with the revised Standards.
The revised sector-agreed Standards are the result of three years extensive collaboration with many groups including consumers, providers, government and non-government agencies and the Ministry of Health.
They have been structured in a new way that will make it easier to review and update parts of them in the future, in order to keep pace with new trends and developments.
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For more information view http://www.moh.govt.nz/certification
You choose them but what are your choices based on?· Yes, we’re talking about your staff!· Maybe one of your key staff members has just resigned so your instant reaction once you’ve accepted the fact they’re leaving, may be to advertise and get their position re-filled.· Wait just a minute though!· Is that position in it’s previous form the best option for ensuring the smooth running of that shift and achieving the best for the residents and the operational needs of the facility?
This may be just the opportunity to restructure some roles and look at the positions held within the organisation while clarifying whether the current structure is the best option.· Who have you consulted in making this decision?· Have your staff been complaining about anything lately or making suggestions for change?· Are you listening to their suggestions?·
Your staff truly are your best asset as they work the roles and know all the hold ups and loss of efficiency that is currently occurring on their shifts.· They will also have ideas on how things can be improved if you give them the time to value their suggestions and test their ideas.· People are unlikely to offer that information which is valuable to you unless you provide the opportunity and an atmosphere that welcomes input from everyone involved in the organisation.
In working with clients conducting employee surveys, one of the most frequently noted opportunities for improvement from responses is in the area of valuing staff. How are you doing on that score? Is staff contribution recognised in a way that is meaningful to the individual staff members taking into consideration that all staff may have different things that motivate them?
After well over 20 years, I’m retiring and moving on to new ventures. I just wanted to say a huge thank you for being there when I needed you and being a close colleague and work support. Your systems kept us on track meaning audit was always so much less stressful than it used to be. It does mean a lot to me to know you’re there at the end of the phone.
Thank you
your friend
Trudy Doreen Stevens (Owner – Shoshannim Care of the Elderly (Ohoka, Canterbury)
Gillian was the facilitator at a meeting I attended yesterday on policies and procedures, at an aged care facility where I am employed, and has recently changed ownership.
She was such an excellent presenter and held our attention for the entire time. The material she spoke about was all very relevant to us all, and she made it so easy to understand, not only, what it all meant, but the reasons why it was being done. She spoke on our level, which made me feel very comfortable in her presence. Not everyone accepts change easily, but the more she spoke, the more she made us really feel that we were all a team, working together, and all “on the same page”. I have been to many many courses, lectures, meetings etc of this type over the years, with many different companies and this is the first time that I have come away feeling so good, refreshed, and eager to get this “new way of doing things underway”.
She has such an approachable, friendly and professional manner, and I am very much looking forward to working alongside her over the next 2 years that she has been contracted to our facility for.
Thank you Gillian for what you did for us yesterday. You were amazing!!
Helen Hills – Oakwoods Lifecare (2012) Ltd – Nelson
Gillian came on site in June 2002 in a Temporary Manager role to support the owner of the facility with change that was needed. She was able to install facility specific policy and procedures manuals to meet Ministry of Health audit requirements. When Certification was required her support ensured we were the first facility to be Certified against the newly legislated Standards on the West Coast. I took over as Facility Manager in 2005 and have been grateful to have had Gillian continuing to upgrade the policies on an annual basis ever since.
She’s also provided training as we’ve required it and is a very good presenter. She always attracts high attendance as Gillian has a high level of knowledge in Aged Care. It’s reassuring to know that she’s there when I need her and can contact her at any time with any query. I would recommend their services relating to education or improving audit outcomes including addressing those difficult issues that come up from time to time.
National Aged Care Excellence Award 2008 Staff Training and Development Winner
2009 Built and Grown Environment Winner; 2010 Innovative Care Finalist.
I have known Gill professionally for 5 years and have always found her to be extremely professional in everything she does. She demands high standards from herself and is able to ‘bring the best out in people’. Gill is highly focused and motivated and is able to motivate others well. Gill knows the industry inside out and is not afraid to roll up her sleeves and lend a hand if needed. She is able to communicate and share her knowledge well on many differentlevels and is well respected.
I would recommend contracting her services to any provider; we have never had any concernswith audits regarding our policy and procedure manuals; which Gill updates regularly andspecifically for our resident group. Her policy and procedure manuals are easy to follow andunderstand. She is always available to provide further training if needed on a range of subjectsrelating to the industry.
Gill is easy to get hold of and will always return calls or just pop in – it is reassuring to know there is someone like Gill available to providers/facilities for ongoing support and I mostcertainly recommend that you give her a call.
Gill has a true PASSION for the Aged Care industry.
Having been in the industry running my own Rest Home for 18 years now, I feel it’s important to have someone of Gillian’s caliber to advice and be a backup for us in keeping on track with the latest aged care information. I know what’s going on in the industry but there are so many changes and we don’t have the time to write the policies and procedures. I had huge stress trying to write them and employed an Registered Nurse to do this however I quickly discovered it was a specialty job and the average Registered Nurse hasn’t the skill or desire often to do the quality related work. Contracting Gillian 8 years ago took that stress away and with her continued support we now look forward to audits knowing we have everything on track.
I bought a national policy and procedure package from an alternative supplier however I still had customise it to our facility and that was taking so much of my time it didn’t help much. It was a huge relief when we contracted Gillian and didn’t have to do any of that customization because she takes care of that.
Professionally Gillian is excellent and I know that if we’re not meeting the mark, she would raise that in a very professional way and advice on how to address gaps. She’s also helped us out with our staff training and the staff really enjoy her sessions. I attend them as well because I know I’ll always learn something new from Gillian!
I know I can ring her anytime and that gives me peace of mind. I would advise any provider to contract her services.
