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makes it increasingly difficult to deliver a personalised approach to nutrition, risking rising cases of malnutrition and serious impacts on resident health and wellbeing.


Overlooking the mealtime environment Findings show that the vast majority (96 per cent) of homes believe the dining environment significantly influences enjoyment, reinforcing its role as a social hub that fosters meaningful connections, supports dignity, and improves overall resident satisfaction. Though, just as nutritional needs vary from


person-to-person, so too do the environments that enable residents to eat well. For residents living with dementia, the


environment can be even more important. Lighting, noise, visual cues and consistent routines all have an impact on nutritional intake. Even when staff training has been


provided on dementia-friendly dining, around half of those surveyed claimed they found it challenging to create the ‘right’ experience, and only 25 per cent of care homes report having separate dining rooms for those requiring specialist settings. These findings again point to an execution


gap in delivering a truly person-centred approach to mealtimes, raising questions on CQC compliance and the ability of services to meet the care needs of those living with


dementia. Guidance makes it clear that good nutrition involves more than food alone - it requires attention to how, where and with whom people eat- and tailored dining experiences are essential for residents with long-term conditions to receive, and consume, the right nutrition. Yet with catering teams increasingly under


strain and facing competing operational pressures, adapting dining environments too often becomes an overlooked aspect of care.


Workforce pressures at the heart of the problem While food inflation dominated cost concerns in 2023, 98 per cent of homes now say workforce-related costs are their biggest pressure, and 71 per cent have had to make operational or staffing changes as a result. Findings also show that 40 per cent of


homes still struggle to maintain adequate staffing levels and over half report ongoing recruitment difficulties. Against this backdrop, delivering a truly


personalised mealtime experience becomes increasingly difficult. Rising resident needs demand more time and skills, but stretched teams are unable to sustain the level of individual support required. This isn’t a


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To read the full research report from apetito and Care England, which offers an insightful deep dive into the current state of catering, nutrition, dining and sustainability across the sector, visit apetito.link/nl2026 or scan the QR code.


reflection of staff commitment, but just the reality of ongoing workforce shortages. To ensure providers can meet


expectations around nutrition, dining environments and person-centred care, coordinated action is needed across the sector so that teams are properly resourced and supported. Only then can the personalised approach that is so critical to resident health be delivered consistently.


Smarter meal solutions supporting stretched teams Given the pressures on care home catering teams, reducing time spent on meal preparation can help staff focus on what matters most: personalising dining experiences to support individual nutritional needs, and create mealtimes that enhance wellbeing. Pre-prepared meal solutions, such as those from apetito, offer clear benefits across food safety, workforce pressures and regulatory compliance, while reducing reliance on individual expertise and embedding more efficient practice. And the research findings support this:


over half of homes believe pre-prepared options lower risk and give staff greater confidence when catering for complex dietary needs. Among homes already using these solutions, only 30 per cent reported needing operational changes in response to workforce cost pressures - compared with 71 per cent across the wider sector. n


James Leigh


James joined apetito in 2012 and has worked in several different roles within its Care Homes division and Wiltshire Farm Foods business. Having spent many years working with care providers to improve the quality of food they’re serving and the dining experience they’re offering, James has extensive experience across all areas of care catering.


April 2026 www.thecarehomeenvironment.com 7


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