Frederikshavn plans nursing home food cuts despite quality fears

Frederikshavn Municipality plans to end homemade evening meals at nine nursing homes, a move it estimates will save 2.2 million kroner a year, DR reports. Critics fear the change could harm residents’ nutrition, quality of life and enjoyment of daily life.

Under the proposal, the nursing homes would receive meals from an external central kitchen instead of preparing them on site. The change would apply only to evening meals and is scheduled to take effect in 2030.

Janette Ladefoged, whose husband lives at one of the affected nursing homes, visits him every day. She says the kitchen and its employee have become a natural gathering point for residents.

Residents can watch the food being prepared, smell it and talk about it, she says. The kitchen makes everything from slow-roasted pork to freshly baked rolls, while also providing an opportunity for conversation.

“If the food arrives in bags and is reheated, it will not have the same significance in everyday life. It will become much more anonymous,” Ladefoged says. She fears the change could reduce residents’ enjoyment of life.

The Danish Association of Diet and Nutrition Professionals has questioned the municipality’s savings estimate. Marian Aagaard, the association’s regional chair in North Jutland, says the figure is based on an estimate and may not reflect the actual savings.

In a written response to the association seen by DR, Frederikshavn Municipality says the calculation is based on “estimates and general assessments”. It did not use a specific offer from a meal supplier or include costs such as transport, logistics and food storage.

Aagaard says externally delivered food must be received, stored, checked and reheated correctly. This requires professional nutrition expertise, she says, warning that the quality could suffer if that expertise is unavailable.

Elly Hansen, from Frederikshavn, told DR in May that having food prepared at the nursing home made a major difference to her appetite.

The final decision will be made during budget negotiations, which must be completed by mid-October. The proposal concerns nine of the municipality’s 12 nursing homes, where evening meals are currently prepared on site.