Treats galore were on offer in the Acute and Clinical Assessment Units at Forth Valley Royal Hospital to celebrate Nutrition and Hydration Week and highlight the importance of eating more healthily.
Staff tucked into a big breakfast and patients enjoyed an afternoon tea thanks to much-appreciated support from Serco’s catering team.
Nursing staff and Serco colleagues used the opportunity to have conversations with patients about nutrition and hydration in hospital and at home. This approach was supported with reading materials and an information board focusing on the importance of nutrition for wellbeing. The dietetics team were also involved in carrying out daily ‘just a minute’ training which focused on the MUST score, available supplements, dementia and nutrition.
‘MUST’ is a five-step screening tool to identify adults, who are malnourished, at risk of malnutrition or obese. It also includes management guidelines which can be used to develop a care plan and is used in hospitals, community and other care settings.
Clinical Nurse Educator, Catherine Swan, said: “The week was not without its challenges due to patient acuity, flow and staffing but, despite being really busy, staff said they had really enjoyed some of the tasty home-baked goodies served up at the big breakfast and the scones went down a treat with patients.”
