Safe and enjoyable meals research needs your input
February 24, 2026
We’re teaming up with Onemda, the University of Technology Sydney, Speech Pathology Australia and Professor Jeff Chan (former Senior Practitioner and Deputy Commissioner at the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission) on an important and exciting research project focused on making mealtimes safer and more enjoyable for people with disability and dysphagia living in supported accommodation.
We all know that creating meals that are safe and enjoyable can be tricky. The SAFE-MEALS project understands this challenge. Sometimes the strategies we use to keep people safe, like Mealtime Management Plans, can be seen as limiting someone’s freedom or the simple pleasure of enjoying a good meal.
And here’s why this work matters so much: choking is the leading cause of preventable, premature death for people with disability in Australia, especially in residential settings. That’s a reality we absolutely must change, and together we can.
That’s why Melba is proud to be partnering on this research.
It’s about more than just safety. It’s about dignity, rights, choice and the joy that comes from a meal done well.
The “safety” part of this project might seem obvious, but the focus on enjoyable meals is what really lights us up here at Melba. Because everyone deserves meals that are not only safe but delicious, meaningful and something to look forward to.
Dr Anneke Jurgens, Melba’s General Manager, Practice, Quality & Safeguards, says, for many people with disability, mealtimes can feel like just another task for people to ‘get done’.
“Imagine eating every meal without conversation or laughter,” she says. “For too long this has been the case for many people with disability. I am really hopeful that studies like this start to make changes in this area and I encourage everyone to get involved.”
The project is currently recruiting people with disability, support workers, family and friends and other Melba employees to be involved in an anonymous online survey and/or an interview or focus group.
The project is looking for:
- People with disability who need mealtime assistance.
- Support workers providing mealtime assistance.
- Family members of someone with disability who needs mealtime assistance.
- Employees who support mealtimes in some way (eg, manager, teaching and learning role).
This anonymous online survey should take no more than 15 minutes and is only open to the Melba community, so please don’t share the link. The purpose of this survey is to gather views from the Melba community about what makes mealtimes safe and enjoyable.
This research is confidential and is ethically approved at the University of Technology Sydney and Melba (ETH25-11667). The research is funded by the National Disability Research Partnerships (2025-6)
If you have any questions, contact Dr Anneke Jurgens.
