HEALTHCARE & HOSPITAL FACILITIES BLUE PLATES AND
FINGER-FOOD MENUS Following the roll-out of the ‘Dignified Dining’ toolkit, we wanted to further develop our offer in hospitals to help provide the highest quality care to dementia patients.
People living with dementia can sometimes experience difficulties with sight and perception and as a result fail to distinguish between their food and crockery. Research shows that the use of a bright, contrasting colour plate helps people see their food more easily and encourages people with dementia to eat more to maintain a balanced diet.
“WE HAVE ENCOURAGED
OUR COLLEAGUES TO COMPLETE THE
ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY’S DEMENTIA FRIENDS PROGRAMME”
In addition to this, we have worked closely with the Alzheimer’s Society, raising £151,555 for the charity in just two years. Support for Alzheimer’s Society was announced in May 2015 and the team has since reached the £151,000 target required to fund essential research into ‘dysphagia’ (difficulties in eating, drinking, and swallowing) in people living with dementia in a residential care setting.
As part of the work we do with the charity we have also encouraged many of our colleagues to complete the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends programme, an initiative created to change people’s perceptions of dementia and which aims to transform the way the nation thinks, acts and talks about the condition.
Altogether, 2,530 of our Medirest colleagues have now completed the Dementia Friends training and this has proved to be extremely beneficial when it comes to providing the best quality care and enhancing the support we give to our patients living with the condition.
www.tomorrowsfm.com
So earlier this year, we launched the use of blue plates alongside providing specialised finger-food options, both specifically designed to support people living with dementia and which was rolled out to 30 hospital Trusts where we deliver the food to patients.
The new range has been introduced to enhance the Dignified Dining toolkit and is in conjunction with our Steamplicity range, a unique patented cooking system to steam cook fresh and raw ingredients in under five minutes. We really believe that the launch of the blue plate range and finger-food menus will go a long way in supporting those living with dementia to remain healthy. Managing the food provision of people living with dementia is crucial to their wellbeing and we aim to continue with our work in providing exceptional care for those affected by the condition.
PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST Food and drink provided to
patients while they are in hospital is an essential part of their care. Altogether, we provide over
13million patient meals annually and we really do believe that by increasing understanding and insight into patients’ preferences and experiences we can further develop our offer to better suit the requirements of those we serve.
Last year, we provided an educational grant to the Patients Association, to carry out a large scale independent study identifying patient food, drink and meal service preferences while in hospital. The report entitled ‘Patients First’ provides a patient- centered insight into the experience of patient meals, which is supported by a series of recommendations for food service providers and hospitals to help ensure patients are getting what they want and need. The study found the top meal preferences for patients included food that tastes good, served at the right temperature and with the right amount of choice.
Following on from the report, a series of 16 recommendations were published highlighting what food providers, servers of food, hospitals and regulators can do to make a difference to the patient experiences. As a business, we are taking on board the recommendations of this report and will look to work closely with the Patients Association to ensure we are delivering patients a food offer that they want and enjoy. An area we are currently working on, Is how we can develop better meal options for patients from ethnic backgrounds or for those from young age groups.
As a leading provider of catering and support services to the healthcare sector, we will always work to provide the best quality services to the many patients we serve on a daily basis. The food and drink we serve to the range of patients always forms an important part of their care and it is essential that we provide them with the right support in improving their health as well as offering options that they want. We will always put the needs of our patients first and we will do this by continuing to empower our people and working with our clients to deliver excellent tailored services to best suit the requirements of those we serve.
www.compass-group.co.uk TOMORROW’S FM | 51
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