Care homes across the island benefited from a series of on-site training sessions on nutrition organised by Age Concern and the Department of Health.

As part of the sessions, Allison Outerbridge and Cymone Hollis, of the health department, tackled malnutrition screening protocols and the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative framework.

Sessions were held at nine of the island’s care homes, while staff from other facilities attended a consolidated training session held at the Bermuda College last month.

In total, 72 attendees participated in the sessions, representing 14 out of the 19 facilities on the island and impacting 258 residents.

Claudette Fleming, a project and support officer at Age Concern Bermuda, said that the training sessions marked the first in a three-part series slated for the fiscal year.

“This programme is designed to respond directly to the needs of our care homes by offering practical and locally grounded solutions,” she noted.

“We’ve heard repeatedly that on-site training makes a real difference — reducing strain on staffing while enhancing accessibility.”

Dr Fleming added that this autumn, Age Concern will collaborate with the Bermuda College to launch a care home administrator credentials programme.

“These initiatives have been years in the making and reflect a long-term strategy shaped by feedback from administrators themselves to improve learning and care quality across the island,” she said.

A spokeswoman for the charity said that the training programme was made possible through the support of the XL and Bermuda foundations.

Another wave of training sessions is to be held in partnership with Ageing and Disability Services, and will be focused on elder abuse awareness.