Meal situation for patients in healthcare

meal for patients

1. Meal situation

2. Food and drink
•Meals have many functions:
•to survive
•Culture
•Create feeling of belonging
•Esthetics taste experiences
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3. Serving a meal in institutions
•Serve the food beautifully
•Nicely placed on the plate
•Do not mush the food if the patient can
chew
•Enough time for eating
•Calm surrounding
•Atmosphere influence the appetite
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4. Serving a meal in institutions
•In separate dining hall or in the patient’s
room
•Correct temperature on the food
•If the patient is blind or has reduced vision
place the food according to the food plate
model
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5. Food plate model
•Vegetables to the left
•Potato, rice or pasta on
the upper right side
•Meat, fish or other
protein source to the
lower right side
•The meal include a drink
like milk or water and
vegetarian margarine
•Satisfied for a longer
time, have more energy,
more even blood sugar
levels
•5 even meals a day
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6. Feeding
•Let the patient eat himself with the help of the
nurse as long as possible, (help him to move his
hand to the moth rather than feed if possible)
•Good position during meals
•Wash your and the patients hands
•No other interventions done in the room at the
same time
•If the patient eats in bed, lift the upper end of the
bed
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7. Feeding
•It might be a sensitive thing for the patient
to be fed, ask for his wishes
•Protect the patient’s clothes with napkin or
bib
•The nurse should have an ergonomic
position when feeding
•Sit opposite the patient and quite close
•Remember to respect the patient
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8. Feeding
•If the nurse is right-handed, she should sit on the
right side of the patient
•The patient should be able to see the food
•Use assisting utensils if needed
•Adapt the feeding according to the patient
•Notice mimics and gestures
•The nurse should pay attention to the feeding
and not other things happening in the room
•Be careful with medicines, difficult to swallow
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9. Feeding
•Small talk increases the appetite
•If the patient can’t see describe the food
served
•Give suitable portions
•Give enough time to chew
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10. Assisting utensils
•Straw
•Cups or mugs
•Adapted cutlery
•Over bed tables
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11. Changing the food
•Drinks can be made thicker to ease the
swallowing
•Food can be mashed or fluid
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12. Assisting utensils
•Stable tables and trays!
•Plates that do not slip!
•Cups and mugs that do not tip over!
•Hot drinks!
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