Some of the best times that can be shared with the patients we work with is during the meal time.  Some employers encourage their staff to also sit and eat with their patients and some have specific rules to keep this from happening.

 

When looking at what could be done to make meal times better, looking at what works for ourselves is a good place to start.  Have you ever wanted to partake but because your hands were not clean and the hand sanitizer in your pocket or attached to your belt just simply would not get them clean enough so you passed.  Preparing the environment to eat in, is just as important as preparing ourselves.

 

Is there a food or drink that you would eat while in the tub, shower, bathroom, garage?  Are these the same items that you would eat or enjoy on the dining room, back patio, front porch or while on a walk through the neighbor?  First, be cautious of chocking hazards, that is just never fun.  Also, what was up with the nurse trying to finish passing meds instead of just  assisting with the patients shave?

 

With freshly washed hands and face that invigorates the senses in preparation for the meal, if you are assisting with this that is a good time to reviewing the menu options and get the person started thinking about what foods they will be enjoying coming up.  If they have a particular favorite or need an alternative it also gives you a advance notice so you can let the others know.

 

Entering into the environment where the meal or snack will be served should be a pleasant one.  Visually pleasing- clean, a nice picture or windows or other scenery to look at.  Smell- while clean the smell of disinfectant does not make the mealtime more enjoyable. Alternately, the  smell of whatever was recently prepared just permeating the air, like homemade soup, perfectly seasoned steak, fresh brownies or chocolate chip cookies.   Sound level- soft music, birds chirping, just enough background to break up the quiet but not make it difficult to carry a conversation with the person next or near to you.  Definitely not the clanging of dishes or the yelling across the dining room for another cup of pudding or extra side of that special sauce.

 

Being grateful and expressing the gratitude to those that served or made the meal better is a good way to bring the positive experience to an close.

 

Please share your ideas on making the experience better for those that are limited to eating in their room?

 

Let us know your questions about mealtimes or other experiences.  Also, let us know if there are any topics you would like to hear about in our blog, maybe we will include it in an upcoming post.

Posted in Southwestern Association of Certified Nursing Assistants