About dining companions

Why do we need dining companions?

We have a lot of patients in the hospital who cannot eat their meals independently – they may need a little or a lot of help.

We know from research, and media stories, that without assistance meals can go uneaten and patients can become malnourished. A reason for this is, quite simply, that there aren’t enough ward-based staff to assist all the patients who need support with their meals.

Having companionship is much needed for our patients. They really appreciate your company. Lifting the patients’ spirits is so important to enhance our patients’ experience in hospital and helping their overall recovery.

Dining companions can help:

To encourage a patient to eat

To be a companion for the patient - we know it improves how much they eat

To assist those who cannot independently feed themselves

To spoon-feed a meal

To help open packets and cut up food

Accessibility tools

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