David Black has joined the team at Oakdale care home as head chef and will be responsible for using his industry knowledge to benefit residents’ health and wellbeing.

David recognises that food and nutrition is a very important element of the care that a resident receives at Oakdale. He explained: “Preparing freshly cooked, nutritional meals is a top priority for me and this is something that I have been delivering from the outset. I strive to inject passion and personality into our meals, that will not only provide our residents with their nutritional needs, but it also makes the dining experience enjoyable and continually varied.

“When creating the weekly menu, we take into consideration all of our residents’ specific requirements and ensure that we are producing balanced meals that both appeal to the taste buds but also have a positive impact on their health. There are often many misconceptions that are made surrounding an elderly person’s diet. For example, it is necessary to incorporate some fat into the diet. Omega fats that are commonly found in oily fish can help to improve circulation, lower blood pressure and can reduce the risk of heart disease.”

The new state-of-the-art residential, nursing and dementia care home in Poole opened last month. David joins the team with more than 20 years’ experience in the catering sector and has a Level 1-3 NVQ Diploma in catering and a Level 3 NVQ Diploma in health and hygiene.

Oakdale has private dining rooms for relatives and friends to have a family meal together. The communal dining rooms have also been designed to be bright and airy spaces, to promote socialisation amongst residents at mealtimes.

Oakdale is the latest addition of an established family of care homes managed by Encore Care Homes, to open just minutes from Poole’s town centre. Encore now manages three care homes in Dorset including Great Oaks in Bournemouth and Fairmile Grange on the grounds of Christchurch Hospital. The business also manages Hamble Heights in Fareham, Hampshire.

For more information, visit www.oakdalepoole.co.uk or call 01202 878 149 to book a visit to look around Oakdale care home.