The Maggie Beer Foundation
An appetite for change
“Food is nutrition not just for the body, but also for the soul. It’s what fires our appetite for life, no matter what age.” These wise words from Maggie speak to the very heart of the Maggie Beer Foundation, a charity that’s working diligently to improve the quality of life of older Australians with delicious, fresh and nutritional food.
The good work of the Foundation features on the Maggie Beer’s Big Mission series airing on the ABC; perhaps it’s even the reason you’re reading this page. To learn more about the Maggie Beer Foundation, please click the button below.
The Foundation’s Story
Founded in 2014, the Maggie Beer Foundation provides strategies and programs to aged-care cooks, chefs and their managers to give them the tools they need to provide high-quality food with fresh ingredients to Australians living in aged-care facilities. The Foundation’s work reaches across the nation, doing good work that benefits the current generation and future generations of older people.
Purpose, mission and vision
The Maggie Beer Foundation is working to enrich and extend the lives of older Australians with nutritional, high-quality food. The charity supports aged care staff and carers with the training materials they need and inspires them to reach new heights with healthy, delicious food. Aged care staff, dieticians, scientists, organisations and more are part of the healthy aging movement led by the Foundation and the passionate Maggie Beer.
Inside the Trainer Mentor Program
The Foundation’s Trainer Mentor Program provides the dedicated staff working in aged care kitchens with a qualified chef trainer who can mentor them. Participation in this program is free and thorough, providing many golden opportunities for growth. Program graduates are rewarded with a coveted two-year Maggie Beer Foundation Certificate.
Click below to go to the Foundation’s website to learn more about this program.
FAQs about Maggie’s Big Mission
Where was the series filmed?
The series was filmed at the Dr Mary Surveyor Centre, which is part of Meath Care in Kingsley, Western Australia. Kingsley is a 20-25 minute drive from Perth’s CBD.
Who participated in the experiment?
Thirty out of forty-three residents residing on Darch Level were included in the experiment.
How did the experiment work?
The experiment lasted for a duration of four months.
What was the aim of the experiment?
The goal of the experiment was to raise the quality of life of aged care residents by providing access to high-quality, nutritional food. As part of the experiment, the menu and dining rooms were reinvigorated. The experiment also aimed to improve the job satisfaction and well-being of aged-care staff members.
How was the experiment funded?
The Maggie Beer Foundation provided consultancy and in-kind support to Meath Care throughout the experiment and Meath Care funded the advised changes. The production also contributed funds for research and development. The evaluation was coordinated by Meath Care and the data reporting, analysis and interpretation were performed in kind by the University of Tasmania (UTAS)’s researchers.
How much did the experiment cost per day per resident?
Meath Care’s kitchen budget per day per resident was $15.35, up from $12.95. The increase included $0.90 for inflation and $1.50 for fresh, nutritional ingredients.