Page 2796 - Week 07 - Thursday, 3 July 2008
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(1) Meals are delivered to the wards and distributed to each patient either in their room or in the dining room of Ward 11A by Food Services staff. Patients are provided with trays of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tea and snacks are provided three times each day between main meals. The food items on the trays are provided heated or chilled, as required. Each meal is provided according to the dietary requirements of the individual and their specific menu selections.
Registered nurses (RN) are responsible for ensuring that the nutritional needs of patients in their care are met. The RN may allocate responsibility for feeding a patient to another team member to assist the patient and a record is kept when inadequate intake of nutrition is noted.
Meal delivery times are arranged and scheduled with ward staff to enable sufficient resources are allocated to assist with feeding those patients that require assistance. Ward staff ensure that:
• Patients are either sitting up in bed or sitting comfortably in a chair
• The meal is within reach
• Food is cut if the patient is unable to use a knife and fork
• Clothing is protected with a bib, if required
• Hot beverages are poured and allowed to cool
(2) Food trays at the hospital generally contain a mixture of covered and commercially pre-packaged sealed items. Sealed items are used throughout the hospital for drinks, juices, milk and yoghurt, including in wards with elderly patients.
Typically, items are pre-sealed to ensure the integrity of the product, elimination of contamination opportunities, consistency of nutritional and daily intake portions, and compliance with food safety Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) requirements.
If it is identified that a patient is unable to access a product, irrespective of their age, ward staff and volunteers will remove the container lid on delivery. The selection of some special patient dietary options will mean that no sealed containers are used.
(3) Yes, depending on the patient’s dietary requirements. If it is identified that a patient is unable to access a food item, irrespective of their age, ward staff and volunteers will assist with meal presentation. The selection of some special patient dietary options will mean that no sealed containers are used. If a meal is not able to be consumed by the patient, within a specified food safety timeframe, an alternative would be sought. There is some capacity to offer soup, snacks or fruit depending on the dietician’s advice. Alternatively, another meal can be delivered at a more appropriate time.
(4) ACT Health does not keep a register of complaints down to that level of detail, therefore it is not possible to advise the number or volume of issues and/or complaints around feeding of elderly patients in Canberra’s public hospitals.
However, I can advise that, any issues relating to food delivery to elderly patients are immediately identified through the ward staff for resolution and are then addressed promptly in consultation with the Food Services department.
The staff of Ward 11A maintain a close liaison with the Food Services department to ensure the needs of elderly patients are constantly monitored and any immediate issues for individual patients are addressed promptly.
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