Promoting Good Nutrition and Hydration - Northern Health and Social Care Trust (2024)
23 October 2018
The Northern Trust has launched its three year Nutrition and Hydration strategy entitled ‘Food and Drink Strategy 2018-2021’ to ensure excellent nutritional care is provided to patients, staff and visitors in its facilities.
Nutrition and hydration are essential aspects of maintaining good health and wellbeing, preventing illness and improving recovery of patients. Poor nutrition and hydration leads to poor health, increased and prolonged hospital admissions, and more cost to Health and Social Care services.
Eileen McEneaney, Executive Director of Nursing said: “We have developed our strategy to promote good nutrition and hydration across the Trust. Food and drink are an important part of living, of life. Good nutrition and hydration are essential to help patients make a speedier recovery from illness and for better health. In the Northern Trust we are committed to providing food of high quality and nutritional value in all our hospitals and community settings across the Trust area.
“In our hospitals, people who are well nourished and well hydrated recover more quickly from illness or surgery, have fewer complications and have a shorter stay. In our community settings people who are well nourished and well hydrated can live their lives more fully. As a Trust we also recognise our responsibility as an employer to support our staff, and those who visit our hospitals, to maintain a healthy lifestyle by providing and promoting healthier food choices”.
The strategy focuses on four key areas: meeting the nutrition and hydration needs of patients and service users; offering healthier eating choices across Trust facilities for service users and staff; providing specialised nutritional care and Catering Services.
The Food and Drink Strategy has been developed to embed the recommendations outlined in the Department of health document: Promoting Good Nutrition: A strategy for Good Nutritional Care for Adults in Care Settings in Northern Ireland.
Provide healthy food in adequate amounts and quality that looks appealing. Ensure meals are balanced and include the main food groups. Give people a variety and choice of foods that meet their preferences and any specific dietary needs.
Maintaining a healthy diet and staying properly hydrated can help you increase your energy levels, control your weight and may even prevent certain health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.
“Good nutrition and hydration are important to maintain good physical and mental health and well-being. Having a variety of foods from the main food groups (carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, high protein foods and dairy and alternatives) ensures we get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients we need.”
You can work with your clients to better understand food labels, cooking techniques, healthy eating patterns, and meal planning. By providing easy to follow strategies, your clients can start to incorporate some of your nutrition education into their lifestyle and further boost their health.
Go at the pace a person is comfortable with.Encourage the person to take their time and to sip drinks if they are not feeling well enough to drink large quantities. Maintain a calm environment with no distractions. Be aware of a person's preferred time for eating their main meals of the day (or any meal).
They can do this by making sure that fluids are freely available and physically accessible both day and night, as well as with meals. They should be aware of the individual's need for fluid and encourage them to drink. Many types of food contain a substantial amount of water.
There is a requirement that people who use healthcare services have adequate nutrition and hydration to sustain life and good health and reduce the risks of malnutrition and dehydration while they receive care and treatment.
Encourage the patient to keep hydrated. Offer drinks regularly. Acknowledge that a patient may be more motivated and interested to eat food they are used to. Engage family members to provide meals where possible.
Encourage self feeding but cut food into bite size pieces to avoid choking. Sit with the person while they eat as a precaution against choking. Check food temperature before serving. Prepare favorite foods to encourage good nutrition.
Items like cooked cereal, mashed potatoes, soup, cottage cheese, and applesauce are all easier to eat. If you want to try tougher foods, cut them into small pieces or chop them in a blender to make them easier to chew. Thicken your liquids. It's important to drink enough fluid to avoid dehydration.
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