Patients can choose what they want from menu each mealtime. Some patients choose their meal the day before or that morning.
Meals are usually three courses - a soup or orange juice, main meal and pudding.
Check with the housekeeper in the kitchen to see what is immediately available. If, through conversation, you become aware of the patient’s likes / dislikes let the housekeeper know and she can request the meal from the kitchen for later or the next day.
The ward kitchen always has plenty of milk, cereal, and bread available.
Not getting enough energy, protein, essential vitamins, and minerals can delay overall recovery and increase the risk of developing malnutrition. Patients who stay in bed for longer and in the same position, because they are unwell or tired, means that they are at higher risk of developing pressure areas. Therefore, regular nutritious meals and fluids (for hydration) can aid overall recovery and prevent malnutrition and dehydration.
Food provides energy which is very important for a patient who is undernourished or at risk of weight loss. Adequate energy is needed to complete daily tasks, including eating. Patients may decline meals because they have low energy levels, low appetite or they feel tired and / or fed up. A Dining Companion can have a vital role in supporting and encouraging patients with meals and hydration, which in turn will benefit their ongoing recovery.
Ultimately, we want the patient to be safely discharged back to their usual place of residence. From our experience patients usually thrive once they are home, as they are in a more familiar environment with family and friends around them and away from the hospital schedule for meals and medication.
Poor nutrition in hospital leads to:
- weight loss
- poor / slow wound healing
- increased risk of infections
- delayed recovery and longer hospital stay
- increased feeling of tiredness
- low energy and mood
- reduced mobility and muscle mass strength
Appetite is often reduced after a surgery and when a patient feels unwell. Therefore, the patient may struggle to receive adequate energy and protein to meet their nutritional needs. The hospital provides three main meals each day, and snacks in between as it is important to have regular and nutritious meals throughout the day and during an acute illness. Patients get the opportunity to choose their own meals from our menu, additional encouragement is given to those that either struggle to eat enough and losing weight or for patients who need support, because they are already underweight and / or in poor nutritional status on their admission to the hospital.
Patients who struggle to meet their nutritional requirements with fortified foods and snacks are often referred to the dietitians for nutrition support, dietetic assessment and consideration of oral nutritional supplements for a certain period of time.
Tips for adequate/good nutrition whilst unwell:
- try small frequent meals and snacks in between,
- choose high fat / high protein options,
- choose more often full fat milky drinks (such as hot chocolate, Horlicks, tea/coffee) and desserts,
- if all the above does not help, try high calorie / high protein nutritional supplements as directed by your nurse or dietitian.
We always have snacks available – generally, they are quite easy to eat options. If the patient doesn’t want their food at mealtimes, you could suggest a snack like:
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Toast and jam
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Cheese and crackers
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A sandwich
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Or a milky drink and some biscuits