Victorian Meals Provider Survey

Transcription

1 Victorian Meals Provider Survey

2 MEALS VICTORIA Provider Survey 2008 page 17 2: Meal Choices 2: Meal choices

3 page 18 Victorian Meals Provider Survey 2.1 Choice of Meals Providers were asked how many choices of soup, main, dessert and juice their service provides. Most (79 per cent) provide only one choice of soup and over half (54 per cent) provide only one choice of dessert. Around half (48 per cent) provide two choices of juice. Although nearly half (44 per cent) provide only one choice of main, some providers offer over eight choices. The average numbers of choices were: Soup 1.2 Main 3.0 Dessert 1.7 Juice 1.6 Figure 17: Choices of Meals Soup Do not serve 1 2 Main Dessert DK Juice PER CENT (%) As shown in the graph, eight per cent do not serve soup, seven per cent do not serve juice and one per cent do not serve dessert. Providers with their own kitchen were less likely to provide soup (21 per cent) than providers using a supplier (five per cent). All providers of more than 40,000 meals provide soup compared to 85 per cent of providers of less than 15,000 meals.

4 Figure 18: Other Aspects of Choice of Meals 60 53% 52% 50 46% Soup Main Dessert page 19 2: Meal Choices PER CENT (%) Rotational basis 8% 6% Standard choices 3% 2% 4% Varies depending on location/supplier/day Juice 16% 17% 15% 13% 13% 14% 11% 10% Choices for likes/ vegetarian etc Although between 44 and 79 per cent of providers indicated only one choice for soup, main and dessert, around half (46 to 53 per cent) indicated these menus are rotational. Most often the menus rotated weekly or four-weekly and were changed seasonally. In addition, between 13 and 17 per cent said there were choices for likes/vegetarian etc for each meal type. Between six and 16 per cent said choices were made at assessment for each meal type doing away with the need to regularly collect and collate client choices. A small proportion said there was some variation in the number of meal choices depending on the day, supplier or location, indicating number of choices may differ for clients using the same provider. The following table shows results for providers that provide only one choice. As shown, around two-thirds to three-quarters (63 to 76 per cent) of providers providing only one choice of soup, main or dessert rotated menus. One Choice Only Rotational basis Choices for likes/dislikes Standard choice Variation in choices Soup 63% 16% 7% 4% Main 76% 21% 10% 10% Dessert 63% 15% 13% 2% Juice 23% 15% 13% 2% Respondent comments Soup We don t have choice we just have variety. Different each day. Is like the mystery of the meal. Don t know until they get it. There is a different soup each day we have 15 soups across the month. Only one supplier gives soup - no choice. Rarely deliver soup few people want it some people get soup but only a few.

5 page 20 Victorian Meals Provider Survey Main Four main always steamed fish, steamed chicken, sandwiches and salad. White meat, red meat and vegetarian - and we also have a gourmet choice. Five you get an A, B, vegetarian, salad 1 and salad 2 all year round. Someone may want a traditional meal three days a week and the other two Asian. An Anglo-Saxon, Mediterranean, Asian, vegetarian, roast or a salad meal. We store a stack of meals we just make it up on preferences. Choice of a hot or cold meal. Three meats, vegetarian, meat salad, vegetarian salad, sandwiches and fruit or cheese and biscuits. Dessert Make a standard choice between the three don t get a daily choice. A traditional, a diabetic, and an alternative for people who do not like. People who have two rounds (meals) get the alternative. We have plain yoghurt for the Indian main meals instead of dessert. If they don t want the dessert they can have a bag of fruit, delivered once a week. Half a dozen varieties of dessert, no actual rotation, just what s available. The option of fruit and custard, plain fruit or a diabetic option which is the same as the main dessert but altered to suit chosen by the coordinator, or some choose to have a mixture of both, they just let us know what they want. Juice We actually have three choices or they can have fresh fruit or a vitamin C tablet. Apple, blackcurrant or orange juice, they get delivered on a Monday, one per client. Along the way, they can alternate. We try to be as flexible as possible. It is not a choice every day, when we put them on the system they choose then. They don t choose, there is a box sent out with deliveries. We do fresh fruit, no choice, what s on for the day. Carry three lots of juices, volunteer asks which they want of the ones left. At time of assessment we tried carrying around a variety but were more trouble than it was worth if they all want orange on that day. We deliver apple twice a week and orange twice a week and pineapple once otherwise you are setting yourself up (if give choice). Occasionally have it juice may or may not be served. Our meals service is a bit crap because we are small Can t implement food services strategy. I used to give them a small juice every day. They do not drink this as it looks cute and leave it for the grandchildren, so I give them a litre of juice once a week.

6 They get it once a fortnight one litre of once a fortnight/they usually stick to the same one unless they call up and ask for a change. page 21 2: Meal Choices Rotations Weekly rotation over four weeks. Every four weeks on Wednesday they will receive the same soup. Three month cycle - seasonal menu - when the three months is up it changes. Rotating menu every three months at least three main choices per day, plus dietary stuff. Weekly rotation that doesn t change. Clients weren t happy with lack of variety. Is complicated. No choice - just what the hospital is serving for the day it is rotated we can ask the hospital for a bit of variety they send out a different one each day. Variation They have a four week menu that usually runs for three months [One location] they do not pick from the menu unless they have a problem usually just take the meal that the hospital sends out on the day. I had one lady change her days because she would like some more stewy things and they happened to be on the other days so they can swap and change. [Supplier 1,2 and 3] all give one choice, [supplier 4] has five choices [Supplier 1, 2 and 4] only have soup in winter. There is a separate menu for Indian meals they still get the same dessert choice. Clients don t get soup if bulk meals or on weekends. Weekday three choices, plus three meat alternatives and two salads, but no salad on the weekend. Varies depending on day, different menus for week and weekend. Four choices on Monday to Friday and three choices on weekend. Only the people in the town boundaries can say they don t like certain foods rural people cannot decide at short notice. Menu They receive bread rolls - muffins and fresh fruit for free. 28 day menu. No menu they mark off (our clients don t get to choose) this makes it very hard work - it is the hardest way to run a service in my opinion (allowing choice from menu). Once a week we just do shopping for them and they receive enough food for the week don t ask them what they don t complain. Clients have input in the beginning of the season and formulate a menu from that. Monthly rotation at least 20 different main meal choices.

7 page 22 Victorian Meals Provider Survey On Sharikat khoo there is a code to put in the meals section and automatically selects the next meal for that day, unless they don t like this also, then it selects the next choice. We have a menu not for the client to choose but for the client to know what we are cooking because our computer system doesn t allow for choosing. If client doesn t want delivered meals for the day can pick social luncheon... in delivered meals budget we have an arrangement with these venues. We have a photographic menu - we call the placemat. It has description, dietary indicators, diabetic gluten free, high fat etc. It may all seem like a lot of trouble and effort but the clients spend a lot of time selecting their meals off this menu and there is a scanning page included for them to write the number of their choice. Figure 19: Average Number of Meal Choices AVERAGE NUMBER OF MEAL CHOICES Metro 5.0 Regional Total Soup Main Dessert Juice Figure 20: Average Number of Meal Choices AVERAGE NUMBER OF MEAL CHOICES <15,000 meals 15,000 to 40, >40,000 meals Soup Main Dessert Juice

8 As shown in the above graphs the choice of meals varies depending on the type of provider. Metropolitan-based providers offered a greater choice of meals, particularly main meals, with 5.0, on average, compared to 1.8 choices for regional providers. Providers of more than 40,000 meals also offered a greater choice of meals, in particular a choice of 4.6 mains and 2.4 desserts, on average, compared to 1.5 mains and 1.3 desserts among providers of less than 15,000 meals. page 23 2: Meal Choices 2.2 Type of Soup The majority (82 per cent) of providers serve fresh soup. Only 13 per cent use dry packet and five per cent use liquid packet, with around half of these also using fresh soup. The reason providers used a combination of soups was because of different client needs (having more than one meal delivered at a time) or delivery for a following day (for example: provided on Fridays for the weekend). Figure 21: Type of Soup PER CENT (%) None Dry packet Liquid packet Fresh Don t know Respondent comments Fresh and packet. On weekends it s a dry packet. The option to those who prefer packet soup. [Supplier 1] it is a dry packet and [supplier 2] does fresh cooked. [Suppliers 1, 2, 3 and 5] have dry packets and [supplier 4] has fresh. They say they don t like the fresh soup so we will offer them a dry packet. One area they only deliver three times a week and they deliver a hot one and packet and frozen. Looking at adding soup and sandwiches as an alternative choice we only do main, dessert and juice each day. Comes to the kitchen is heated in microwave.

9 page 24 Victorian Meals Provider Survey 2.3 How Meals are Served 6 Figure 22: How Meals are Served PER CENT (%) Soup Mains Dessert Fresh Cook chilled Frozen Prepackaged More than half of providers indicated meals are freshly cooked: soup (56 per cent), mains (63 per cent) and desserts (61 per cent). Nearly half of providers indicated they provide cook chilled main or dessert (both 42 per cent) and less than one third (29 per cent) of providers said they provide cook chilled soup. Ten per cent or less (seven to 10 per cent) provide frozen meals and nine per cent provide prepackaged soup. Variations were numerous, as shown in the following table. For example, cook chilled meals, in some cases, were served either frozen or hot. Soup Main Dessert TOTAL FROZEN 7% 8% 10% Frozen 5% 8% 10% Frozen served hot (unprompted) 2% 1% TOTAL FRESH 56% 63% 61% Fresh cooked 49% 52% 56% Fresh - served cold (unprompted) 3% 1% 2% Fresh - served hot (unprompted) 4% 11% 5% TOTAL COOKED CHILLED 29% 42% 42% Cook chilled 27% 39% 40% Cook chilled - served frozen (unprompted) 1% 1% 2% Cook chilled - served hot (unprompted) 4% 8% 6% TOTAL PREPACKAGED 9% 2% Packet soup 8% Served as a cold liquid packet 1% Tinned fruit/packet fruit 2% Don t Know 1% 1% 1% 6 Totals add to more than 100% as providers may serve meals in more than one way

10 In addition, there are variations to the way meals are most often served, as shown in the following table. Meals are most often served in a different way if they are to be consumed some time after delivery. For example, delivered on Friday for the weekend, or to clients receiving all meals for the week on one day. page 25 2: Meal Choices Soup Main Dessert TOTAL ADDITIONAL WAY MEALS SERVED 21% 35% 21% Frozen for rural/bulk clients 11% 20% 11% Frozen for next day/weekends 6% 15% 10% Cook chilled for next day/pick up 4% Cooked chilled - evening consumption 2% 1% Cooked chilled - served frozen for next day 2% 4% 1% Cooked chilled served frozen for bulk deliveries 1% 1% Dry packet weekend 1% Don t serve on weekends/next day 3% 1% Don t serve to rural clients/bulk packages 1% TOTAL VARIATIONS TWO RESPONSES PROVIDED 24% 38% 32% Depends on supplier/delivery area/distance 17% 24% 18% Depending on clients needs/wants 5% 9% 9% Depends on type of meal e.g. fresh fruit/cooked chilled dessert 2% 4% 7% Respondent comments Have frozen or chilled. Cooked chilled unless fresh fruit. [Area 1] they are chilled... others are fresh. Deliver frozen meals on Friday for Saturday. Fresh in town frozen out of town once a week. Fresh on weekdays and on weekends they get frozen. Hospitals serve cooked chilled and cafes serve fresh cooked. Everything is fresh cooked, except the Indian they are frozen. Comes in chilled to our kitchen we will reheat if clients wish. Can be hot depending on needs of client, packet soup if not high needs. For [area 1] fresh soup. Dry packet soup, not made up for the other [four] areas. Dessert choice cooked chilled plus fresh or stewed fruit always on the menu. Frozen for rural pick up. Family, friends or carer s will pick up. [Area 1 and 2] are both hot weekdays and frozen for weekends, [area 3] is fresh hot 7days a week.

11 page 26 Victorian Meals Provider Survey Dry packet, they refuse to give us a hot soup - none of the clients use it and if we had to rate the biggest problem with the client it is the soup. We have decided to scrap the frozen meals, we want to see clients every day cooked chilled served hot to others, and hospital re-heats prior to delivery. In [area 1], cold in a polystyrene cup, cooked chilled. In [areas 2 and 3] it goes out individually in a flask, fresh its a bit colloquial, they like to do things the old fashioned way still, which is lovely. Variety some cooked chilled, some frozen and some fresh depends on clients need and wants. We are going to paper based containers 20 cents extra can hold them in your hands and it will not burn Our clients get confused with frozen meals and reheating we only serve frozen if we really need to. All prepared cooked chilled frozen, reheated or chilled its up to the client they decide if they want them delivered chilled for tea at night or hot for lunch, then there are the weeks worth of frozen we do not heat the desserts up. 2.4 Cater to Specific Client Needs Figure 23: Cater to Specific Client Needs PER CENT (%) Special dietary needs Allergies Likes/dislikes CALD Yes/partially No Don t know Providers were asked if they catered for special dietary needs, allergies, likes and dislikes and CALD. Most (99 and 97 per cent) reported catering for special dietary needs and allergies in all cases. More variation was found regarding catering for likes and dislikes and providing CALD meals. Most (91 per cent) catered for likes and dislikes and around three-quarters (77 per cent) catered for CALD. However, this may not be done in all cases, or to the standards requested by clients. Some providers indicated they do these partially or to a degree, as shown in the following sections.

12 Respondent comments Special diets catered for on top of the normal choice. Diabetic, low fat, gluten free, high fibre, low fibre and likes and dislikes If the choice is not suitable to adapt we give them an alternative. We only cater for diets too labour intensive don t have the staff to do it and it s a big nightmare with anything if you have too much choice. One of the meals each day can be chosen by celiac people and we have a simple system for diabetic and vitamised. All of our menus have the diabetic sign next to them, except the ham steak and pineapple. page 27 2: Meal Choices Cater for Likes/Dislikes TOTAL YES/PARTIAL 91% Total Yes 72% Yes 68% Clients tell us at time of assessment 6% Clients tell us anytime 3% Total Partial 19% Very minimal/to a point/if we have to 9% Change the meat only 5% Change to a salad 1% Total on menu 5% On menu (Answered yes do cater) 2% On menu (Answered no do not cater) 3% Partial Clients tell us anytime 3% Partial - Clients tell us at time of assessment 1% NO 8% DON T KNOW 1% Around three-quarters (72 per cent) of providers indicated they cater for likes and dislikes, with 19 per cent indicating they do this partially. Of those that said they do it partially, over half said it was minimal or only to a point, with others saying they would change the meat only, or change the vegetables to a salad. Results indicate regional providers and those who provide a smaller number of meals were more likely to cater for likes and dislikes than other providers.

13 page 28 Victorian Meals Provider Survey Respondents Comments We have a lady who does not like waffles and she will not pay for her meal if she gets waffles we do not deliver waffles to her I want her to pay for her meal so we do this it is not a common practice. We have the menu that is pretty broad if they have particularly strong likes or dislikes we just encourage them to use the menu. We try and do the best that we can to meet everybody s needs, when first placed on the service we ask them to identify what it is that they don t like and they can alter that at any time. With veggies you get it unless you have an allergy for main meals if you don t like lamb you ring the office and tell them and you will get the next choice if you don t like that you will get the vegetarian. We can offer a different type of meal or offer a salad. They just have to go with whatever. To an extent. If it is a main meal and someone doesn t like pork we don t give it to them. If a vegetable dislike rather than medical, they would have to put it aside Cater for CALD YES Yes - cater for CALD 8% Yes - inform us at assessment 8% If requested/one-on-one 14% Very little receive/low numbers 2% Yes - mentioned specific type provided 23% Traditional Supplier does them/specialty chef 3% Outsource them /specialty supplier 4% Not traditional/menu item Our supplier does them/normal chef 29% Not Traditional 9% It is not authentic 4% Our menu changes according to customer base 3% CALD is covered in menu/is a standard menu item 18% CALD meals are in menu rotation/different choice each day 5% Limited Not a large selection 4% Only if bulk purchase 1% Yes, but clients generally not happy with them 1%

14 NO (not specifically - but may offer something) page 29 2: Meal Choices No (but may offer something) 20% Supplier cannot supply 5% NO CALL (but may offer something) Not large CALD Population 29% Would if demand 18% No CALD clients 7% CALD Clients happy to have usual 5% Don t Know - Supplier Does 1% Although around three quarters (77 per cent) of providers indicated providing CALD meals of some type, there were variations regarding how this was achieved. Results indicate a number of providers offer CALD meals as a menu item that is often taken up by those who are not from that ethnic background. Only a small proportion indicated using a specialty chef, with a number indicating their CALD meals were not authentic. Overall, a significant proportion of providers indicated there was no demand for the supply of CALD meals. Respondent Comments We have a set menu that doesn t change very much there are some meals that would be more culturally appropriate on a daily basis. No current CALD clients. We do not cater for different ethnic groups that well it s very Australianised. They just have to ring up and inform us what they want... at the moment Italian, Chinese, Kosher, Greek. We have a high Italian client base a lot of pastas we change the menu according to our customer base. Most of our CALD clients are happy to have the usual they do not like to be set apart. Culturally different meals do not reheat as well. Whatever we try to do it is never the same as mamma made. CALD clients do not take up the option of meals on wheels because they are not authentic so we supply them with a subsidy same as HACC they do not access our meals because they are not authentic yet they do not access authentic meals themselves {So you can see why we have more subsidies than we do meals, our figures for the end of June show xxx meals and xxx subsidies (5,000 difference)}. We do all from our production kitchen besides some we purchase externally Halal is the worst one we buy that in, that we have not been able to produce ourselves. Only when there is enough to meet bulk requirements (CALD).

15 page 30 Victorian Meals Provider Survey It is a bit Anglo Saxon. It s fairly limited though and it s never been terribly successful they tend to be meals on the menu already and then they are frozen. Demand is what dictates if you are going to be a supplier of CALD food I am sure it will in due course it will be quite interesting to see how the service provider will do that. Last year we delivered (over 2,000) CALD meals Indian and Asian chef. Our chef cooks Chinese and if it s any other meal we will go and purchase that from another supplier. I wouldn t know where to find them pasta I could but not specific say kosher or no pork. Cooks will endeavour to cook up an Italian meal or whatever the culture. We do but we do not have much need for it goes through the same supplier. Mediterranean type, Asian type, Middle Eastern type.

16 page 31 2: Meal Choices