Support Individuals to Eat and Drink

Establish with an individual the food and drink they wish to consume.

Encourage the individual to select suitable options for food and drink.

Describe ways to resolve any difficulties or dilemma about the choice of food and drink. There are a number of ways to resolve any dilemma or difficulties with the choice of food and drink.

Diet and Health Problems

The residents choices at some point may contradict the advice given to the by there carer. If a resident had type 2 diabetes, they might have to restrict their diet in various ways.

The resident will need support from all carers to help encourage and guide them on what is best for them with food and drink.

Encouraging Dietary Change

Some people don’t find it easy to change their eating habits, the carer can help by showing a list of foods that are available and maybe do a tester so they can try it. The best thing to do is to make different options and try to help residents eat less fatty food and more healthy food.

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Meeting cultural needs

Residents from different back rounds may have different habits with their diets. Some care homes don’t provide the meals that meet there needs unless there is special provision made, if this happens the resident may refuse to eat what they have been given.to avoid the problem the carers should find out about dietary preferences and try to ensure that they are reflected in the meals that are on offer, family members can sometimes give advice what the prefer or even bring in a meal sometimes.

1.4 Describe how and when to seek additional guidance about an individual’s choice of food and drink.

Physical conditions affecting diet

Residents, who have difficulty swallowing, may have developed a condition called dysphagia. In this situation you need to get advice with regards to the type of food the person can eat. Inadequate food and drink intake may be the result in chronic illness or could occur for other reasons, for example, a person could be losing a lot of weight due to illness such as cancer. This can also change a person’s choice of what food they eat, so the carer will need to guidance from a speech/ language therapist or dietician to make sure the resident receives a nutritionally balanced diet

Cultural and Religious Practices

A lot of people have religious beliefs that influence what food they eat. Most religious groups have dietary rules regarding certain foods, the Jewish and Moslem are prohibited from eating pork, which as a carer you need to be aware of, speak to family members for advice if it is needed. Food preferences are also influenced by cultural background, for instance people from the Caribbean like different food and flavours from people in China or Asia. 2.1Identify the level and type of support an individual requires when eating and drinking.

The support a resident requires varies, an assessment of the residents requirements should be done before they arrive so that you are ready to care for them, and it needs to be reviewed on a regular basis, some may need a lot more help and support with eating and drinking, these need to be considered:– Ensuring the individuals have the right cutlery and any necessary needs Support the residents who are confused or feeling too weak to feed themselves, offer to feed them if they have a=lost the ability to bring their food to their mouths Offer to cut up the food and assist with drinking when necessary Give the attention the resident requires so they feel valued Allow them enough time to feed themselves

Demonstrate effective hand-washing and use of protective clothing when handling food and drink.

Support the individual to prepare to eat and drink in a way that meets their personal needs and preferences.

Provide suitable utensils to assist the individual to eat and drink

Describe factors that help promote an individual’s dignity, comfort and enjoyment while eating and drinking. Set up the dining room so that it looks homely

Ensure the food is at the right temperature

If the texture of the food is difficult or the person to swallow, the speech therapist or dietician may be able to suggest how to present the meal in a more attractive way, not all foods should be pureed as these meals can look very unattractive

Second helpings if available

Make sure that drinks and healthy snacks are available throughout the day Offer privacy to those who have difficulties with eating so that they do not feel embarrassed or lose dignity if they make a mess Encourage family members friends and carers to visit during mealtimes, they can be a source of help Make sure you are well staffed so the resident can have the full attention of a carer during mealtimes To not make assumptions regarding what people should eat

Raise awareness of the importance of maintaining good nutritional care

Support the individual to consume manageable amounts of food and drink at their own pace. Select a small portion to put in the person’s mouth and allow them to chew as long as they need Do not hurry the person to finish, allow ample time for the individual to eat and then offer them a drink Vary the selection of food so that the resident has some meat, veg and either rice or potato’s Explain to the resident what foods you are giving them

Rest in between and talk to the resident while you are feeding them, make the conversation pleasant

Provide encouragement to the individual to eat and drink.

Support the individual to clean themselves if food for drink is spilt.

Adapt support in response to an individual’s feedback or observed reactions while eating and drinking

Explain why it is important to be sure that an individual has chosen to finish eating and drinking before cleaning away. This can sometimes be tricky. The resident may refuse to eat anymore if they are eating by themselves and actually state this or if it’s being fed to them they make shake their head. You may be able to encourage the person to eat a little more from the plate or accept another mouthful being fed to them, but at some point the resident will refuse to eat anymore, this is when you have to stop persuading them and accept that they have finished. 4.2Confirm that the individual has finished eating and drinking

Clear away used crockery and utensils in a way that promotes active participation.

Support the individual to make themselves clean and tidy after eating or drinking.

Explain the importance of monitoring the food and drink an individual consumes and any difficulties they encounter.
Monitoring a person’s food and drink is very important as the resident could develop malnutrition if they do not consume the right amount of food to support the needs of the body or obesity if you consume too much. You will need to establish the reasons why the resident is over/under eating and make notes of the fluid intake and food eaten. The aim is to recognise who is vulnerable and to treat any malnutrition or obesity problems before they become to advanced and causing the resident distress and possibly leading to illness.

The resident can also become dehydrated as a result of it drinking enough fluids. If the resident refuses to drink they may have to be referred to the GB in case they require hospitalisation to be given intravenous fluids. The resident can be referred to a dietician who will conduct a nutritional assessment. 5.2Carry out and record agreed monitoring processes.

Report on the support provided for eating and drinking in accordance with agreed ways of working.