STUST, which undertook the Senior Nutrition Service Enterprise Alliance Project of the National Science Council, recently held the Seminar on Improving the Quality of Nutritional Care in Long-term Care Institutions. It attracted more than 300 guests from the long-term care, medical and academic circles. Director Shi-bin Su of the Bureau of Health Care and Director Yu-cong Lu of the Bureau of Social Affairs, Tainan City Government, who are in charge of the evaluation, supervision, and counseling of long-term care institutions, came to the conference to give a speech of encouragement.

【A group photo of STUST Nutrition Care Quality Improvement Seminar】

The seminar included many issues, such as "Improving the Quality of Nutritional Care for Residents of Long-Term Care Institutions—Starting from the Evaluation Provisions," "The Ideal Model of Cooperation Between Long-Term Care Institutions and Nutritionists," "How to Achieve a Balanced Diet under the Control of Meal Costs," "Diet Quality Requirements of Institutional Residents," "Kitchen Meal Management and Counseling in Long-term Care Institutions" and "An Introduction to Nutritional Resources for Long-Term Care." All these are currently the focus of such various institutions as nursing homes, nursing-type long-term care institutions, and day-care centers. The chair of the alliance, Prof. Chiao-zhen Peng of the Department of Senior Welfare Service of STUST, said that due to the epidemic last year, the seminar was postponed until this year, so that everyone could fully see the service portfolio that the alliance plans to provide for long-term care institutions.

【Director Shi-bin Su of the Bureau of Health Care, Tainan City Government, was delivering a speech at the Seminar on Improving the Quality of Nutritional Care held at STUST.】

STUST can currently provide nutrition services in the long-term care industry, including cycle menu analysis, kitchen hygiene and safety counseling, nutritional fitness assessment of residents, disease treatment meals (diabetes, chronic kidney disease, kidney dialysis, heart care, calorie control, high protein, cancer nursing meals, etc.) are developed and prepared by academic majors from the Department of Senior Welfare Services and the Department of Hospitality at STUTS, along with Chi Mei Medical Center and the nutritionist team of Tainan City, to assist the institution to complete the evaluation preparation, provide nutrition care, nutrition consultation, and evaluation for residents, accurately analyze the nutritional content of the cycle menu, further offering meal improvement plans, combining food safety and health with school committee members, assisting long-term care institutions in self-management of kitchen health and safety and staff empowerment. As for texture adjustments in response to new developments in aging (soft, finely crushed, liquid, chewing disorder foods and drinks, shaping meals, high-nutrition snacks, etc.), meal design, production, education and training, special research cooperation, and tool development reflect the research and development energy already possessed by the alliance. It can assist long-term care institutions to improve the quality of nutritious meal services and provide better nutritional care for the elderly.

【Director Yu-cong Lu of the Bureau of Social Affairs, Tainan City Government, was delivering a speech at Nutrition Care Quality Improvement Symposium held at STUST.】

Among the approximately 300 guests who participated this time, 62% came from nursing homes, nursing-type, and nursing-type accommodation institutions, 13% came from day-care centers, home service companies, and the rest were from hospitals, clinics, nutrition consultation centers, medical service institutions. (B units) and academic units, and other sources. About 100 guests who were leaders of long-term care institutions or business managers, supervisors, more than 140 nurses, 70 nutritionists, and many long-term care practitioners or companies came to attend the seminar. In addition to the 6 speeches at the seminar, the "alliance also invited group members—including Nuliyang Co., Ltd., Chimei Foods Co., Ltd., Hongya Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Snyder Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Baoying International Co., Ltd., Nan Biochemical Technology Co., Ltd., and Taiwan Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.—to set up booths, allowing long-term care institutions to collect the latest product information of nutrition companies.

【Vice President De-guang Chou was delivering a speech at Nutrition Care Quality Improvement Seminar held at STUST.】

In addition, the alliance also showcased the nutrition tool kit developed in STUST: (1) a simple width ruler for community or institution assessment of human height, waist circumference, hip circumference, calf circumference, a transparent palm version for protein intake estimation, and (2) "Balanced Formula Transformation—High Nutritious Snack Recipe (Sweet)," "Balanced Formula Transformation—High Nutritious Snack Recipe (Salty)," "High Protein, High Calorie, Strong Muscle, and Bone (Liquid)," "High Protein, High Calorie, Muscle and Bone Recipes (Solid)," and "Swallowing Impairment Food Texture Adjustment Recipes," allowing professionals in long-term care institutions to have a glimpse of STUST's nutritionally profound results. During the one-hour lunch time at noon, 60 participants in charge of long-term care institutions were invited to hold a lunch meeting for persons in charge of long-term care institutions to discuss cooperation mechanisms for the current situation and the future.

【Prof. Chiao-zhen Peng from the Department of Senior Welfare Service, STUST, was introducing the development tools of the alliance.】

Vice President De-guang Chou of STUST said in his speech that STUST has established the Department of Elderly Welfare Services in response to the aging society, and has been actively cultivating young talents who will provide the needs of the elderly society and long-term care in the future. The alliance’s plan is now even more focused on using the school's research and development energy to assist and integrate with the industry, so that the elderly nutrition service industry can develop more vigorously and benefit the public. It is hoped that the long-term care industry, the senior care industry, and academic organization will form more alliances to create good results in industry-university cooperation.

【STUST held the Nutrition Care Quality Improvement Seminar, where students from the Department of Hospitality Management were making coffee on the spot.】

【The participants at the Nutrition Care Quality Improvement Seminar held by STUST were visiting the manufacturer's exhibition.】