Healthy decisions now a ‘pos-ability’

The PresCare Pos-Ability Program is a nutrition-based, healthy food choices program designed to empower clients to make informed and healthy decisions when shopping for food at their local supermarket.

Greg Skelton, PresCare chief executive, says helping people with disabilities – including older Australians living with disability at home – make informed decisions about what they eat is not only good for their health but also builds confidence and a sense of wellbeing.

“This client group are at a higher risk of obesity and long-term chronic disease which in turn can lead to them becoming socially isolated in their local community,” Mr Skelton says.

“We’ve given our clients the tools to make healthy food choices which means we’re halfway to keeping our clients more socially connected, as a healthy body and a healthy mind go hand in hand,” he adds.

PresCare offers a range of services from residential and in home community care to independent living units in metropolitan and regional areas through to affordable housing and disability services, day therapy, allied health and food services.

The PresCare Pos-Ability program has successfully guided PresCare clients to plan and find healthy food alternatives that are not laborious to prepare or cook.

Clients were able to see and experience first hand the small changes they could make to their diet or daily routines to stay fit and healthy.

From cooking demonstrations with PresCare’s head chef to simple exercise tips for around the house, to getting their hands dirty in potting their very own edible kitchen garden and preparing shopping lists, the holistic teaching approach has encompassed all elements of healthy living.

Preliminary feedback about the program has been positive, with a number of clients enjoying the weekly sessions of connecting with others while learning new skills to keep their health front of mind.

Even if changes to diets have been small, the benefits will be long lasting and already these clients are endeavouring to make healthy choices rather than rely on the convenience of fast foods, Mr Skelton says.

“The involvement of carers, parents and care workers is seen as imperative in understanding and encouraging the newly learned skills post program completion.”

A major component of the program was to guide and support each client to become confident in planning, selecting and purchasing nutritious foods at their local grocery store or supermarket.

Participants have embraced the writing of shopping lists and trips to the supermarket where they have felt empowered in the knowledge that they can confidently make a healthy meal from scratch.

“From dietitians to clients’ parents or carers and their care workers, to staff at the local supermarket – everyone was encouraged to play a part in helping our clients make healthy food decisions,” he says.

Dianne Reidlinger, Public Health Nutrition lead for the Master of Nutrition and Dietetic Practice program at Bond University, says the Pos-Ability program has been a success not only for participants but for Bond nutrition students who have benefited through the forming of an ongoing relationship, working together towards breaking down barriers associated with disability.

“We look forward to continuing our work in this field, alongside PresCare and My Nutrition Clinic, to help people with a disability make healthy food choices,” Ms Reidlinger says.