Airdate: Maggie Beer’s Big Mission

New three part series Maggie Beer’s Big Mission will probably be the most important work ABC Factual offers up this year.

In the series produced by Artemis Media, Maggie Beer, leads an ambitious world first social experiment to transform the meals and dining experience at an aged care home in Perth, Western Australia.

This is 79-year-old Maggie‘s most ambitious project to date and the one she will be the proudest of, in the hope that it could provide a blueprint for improving aged care

“It looks fresh, it tastes fresh, every mouthful counts!” – Maggie Beer.

Over four months Maggie and her team of experts reinvigorate the menu, dining rooms, gardens and the care model to bring more joy, improve nutrition and well-being, and give purpose to the residents. The aim is to increase the overall quality of life at the home for both the residents and the staff.

Having established The Maggie Beer Foundation a decade ago, with a mission to set new standards to change the food and dining experience in the aged care sector, Maggie’s mantra is “Make every mouthful count”. She works closely with Speech Pathologist Natalie O’Brien, Dietitian Emma Falconer, and the home’s Executive Chef, Sasanka Peiris, to introduce new recipes high in protein and full of flavour, using fresh ingredients and solid cooking techniques.

Under the guidance of Maggie’s care change consultants Occupational Therapist, Elizabeth Oliver and Registered Nurse Julie Smith, the home introduces a buffet style dining experience within beautifully renovated dining rooms. Elizabeth and Julie train every member of staff in a unique model of care, which has a focus on the needs and abilities of each resident, with the goal of improving quality of life.

Gardening Australia’s Josh Byrne gets to work redesigning the shared garden spaces to make them inviting and inclusive. His aim is to encourage residents, their families and staff to spend time outdoors.

For CEO Chris Roberts, it’s a brave endeavour to be open to such a big transformation. He’s optimistic that together with Maggie’s team, his staff will be able to deliver the new changes. If successful, he is committed to rolling the changes out to not only the rest of the home, but to the rest of the organisation as well.

Production Credit: An Artemis Media production for the ABC. Major production investment from Screen Australia and the ABC in association with Screenwest and Lotterywest. Series Director and Producer Laki Baker. Senior Producer Phillipa Hutchison. Executive Producer Celia Tait. ABC Commissioning Editor Julie Hanna. Head of Factual Susie Jones. International Sales: ABC Commercial.

Tuesday 9 July at 8:30pm on ABC (all episodes available to stream on ABC iview.)