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The Aged Care Quality Standards are a set of standards that define what care providers must deliver in Australia to ensure high-quality care.
From November 2025, the Standards will be strengthened, with food and nutrition now receiving dedicated focus. The Strengthened Standards aim to ensure residents get the right nutrition whilst enjoying their meals more.
In this blog post, Head Chef Krishna shares his perspective on what the updated Standards mean for Amaroo’s meals, and his own journey to cooking in aged care.
Krishna bringing quality to the dining experience
“I think the Strengthened Standards are great”, says Krishna, Head Chef at McMahon Caring Centre. ”They will improve residents overall dining experience.”
“At Amaroo, it means making sure our residents have plenty of food options to choose from. It also means putting extra thought into how meals are presented—because as you know, when you buy a meal in a restaurant you first eat it with your eyes”, he says and adds with a smile:
“My priority is always making sure the residents are happy, because Amaroo is their home.”
Krishna’s journey to aged care
Krishna began working as a chef in aged care in 2019. Encouraged by his wife, who works as a nurse, he decided to give it a chance and quickly discovered he loved it.
“There were times when people in their eighties told me it was ‘the best meal they’d ever had’—that made me so proud and happy. It’s motivating knowing that I can improve someone’s quality of life.”
Having shared a close bond with his own grandmother growing up, he finds it especially meaningful to bring joy to older Australians with his cooking.
“Seeing them smile is what makes my day”, Krishna says, “I am very happy at Amaroo.”
Keeping his cooking multicultural
The Strengthened Standards has encouraged Krishna to further incorporate cuisine from different cultures into his cooking.
“At Amaroo, we celebrate all cultures and festive holidays. We try to tailor the menu to reflect the multicultural background of residents, and with our new menu you will see more diverse food options included like Japanese, Philipino, Indian, and Chinese food.
To keep improving, Krishna is always open for feedback from colleagues and residents.
“If something goes wrong with the food, the first thing McMahon’s residents do is to inform me. They are like my friends, they trust me enough to let me know directly and they know I will fix it.
“It is a great teamwork in the kitchen, some of my colleagues have worked here for close to 20 years—I rely on them as much as they rely on me.”
What does the Strengthened Standards mean for meals at Amaroo?
There will be several improvements to Amaroo Caring Centres’ menu.
“We have been proactively working for a long time to meet these expectations”, Head Chef Krishna explains.
He lists some of the changes made during the last year:
- Moulded texture-modified meals
- A seasonal cyclic rotating menu
- Meal photos with descriptions on the menu
- Regular food focus meetings with residents and families to gather feedback
Amaroo is committed to delivering meals that are not only nutritious but also full of flavour, choice, and dignity, ensuring every resident enjoys their dining experience.