TV nutritionist cooks-up a storm for Dignity Action Day

At the centre's first-ever cooking extravaganza, Michaela, whose TV work includes providing 'behind the scenes' support to celebrity chef and programme presenter James Martin on the BBC programme Saturday Kitchen, cooked the meal from scratch - with a little help from the Department of Health's Robert Nisbet - and advised on healthy eating options for the elderly.

The cookery demonstration was watched by 30-plus of the Radford Centre's usual attendees, Alan Simpson MP, the Radford centre's members and volunteers, its President Pauline Davies, local councillor Katrina Bull, and guests from the African Caribbean elders centre.

Starter was tomato soup - cooked and prepared by Robert Nisbet, Regional Programme Manager for Safeguarding and Dignity in Care at the Department of Health. Michaela cooked a choice of main courses - a Fillet of Salmon with parsley sauce, or Fillet of Mackerel with mustard sauce, or Haddock/Pollock with Caribbean gravy served with Dauphinoise potatoes, followed by a Quick Fruit Crumble desert.

Dignity Action Day is an initiative of The Department of Health and aims to put dignity at the heart of care services. It asks health and social care staff and members of the public to take action to promote the dignity of people receiving care.

The event was sponsored by Nottingham law firm Berryman and DH East Midlands, and was jointly organised by members of the DH East Midlands team including Robert Nisbet (Regional Programme Manager for Safeguarding and Dignity in Care), Emma King (Programme Administrator) and Lucy Pearson (Dignity in Care Programme Support Officer), Jill Davies (Radford Care Group), and Berryman's Amanda Gale, a solicitor in the firm's private client and Healthcare teams, who comments:

"The event was a great and fun way of demonstrating the importance of a healthy balanced meal for the elderly, as well as raising awareness of the national Dignity Action Day and its worthwhile objectives."

Radford Care Group is a purpose built centre that offers daytime activities for older people in Nottingham, with extended facilities for the more frail elderly. The registered charity has been providing a service to the older people of Nottingham for over 42 years. For more information visit: www.radfordcaregroup.org.uk or Tel: 0115 9786133.

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