Food is a necessity for all individuals and has an impact on not only our physical health but also our social well-being and mental health.
The connection between having balanced and nutritious eating habits results in one thinking clearly, feeling alert, and can improve one’s attention and concentration. There are some well-known nutrients and food groups that research has shown to have a positive impact on mental health. Some examples of foods with a positive impact include fish which contains fatty acids that help regulate the brain.
For individuals who have a condition that requires either a short or longer-term hospital stay this often results in one’s mental health being lower as they feel stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious. One of the feasible ways to improve someone’s health including the mental aspect is conducted through food service staff and clinical dietitians.
At the Victoria Hospital, there are dietitians that aim to improve an adult’s overall health or to help manage a disease or condition using nutritional aspects.
The process of how the dietitians work with patients is outlined below:
- They start by conducting two screening tools that assess if a patient is at risk for malnutrition, and their food preferences.
- The dietitian is then alerted to complete a full nutrition assessment with a patient if they determine that support and assistance is needed with their nutrition plan.
- Following the nutrition assessment, the dietitian makes the required diet changes and adds any supplements if needed and will often conduct follow-up visits with education and may provide resources for the patient once discharged.
In addition to dietitians, there are food service staff that includes diet aides and diet clerks. The diet clerks conduct the screening tools used by the dietitians for malnutrition risk and the patient’s food preferences/allergies.
The value of the food preference questionnaire is the assurance of knowing that a patient has food served to them that they will eat and enjoy. It can also motivate the patient to eat, as their preferences are considered. Having a choice of foods that can be provided as meals or additional snacks empowers the patient to feel included in their health and creates a positive view of the food service staff and has the beginnings for rapport with dietitians.
Diet clerks assist with entering a patient’s diet orders including their food preferences, any allergies or sensitivities and any specific requests made by the dietitian. This task of accurately inputting and updating the diet specific information for each individual patient ensures that the patient will have a lower possibility of being upset or disappointed with the food provided and will instead result in joy in their day to have an enjoyable and nutritious meal that can provide benefits to their physical health, as well.
The role of the diet aides is to ensure that the food entered into the online tracking system for each patient is accurately provided on their tray and at a safe serving temperature.
A brief overview of the online system can be described as having each individual patient entered as a card file that holds the nutrition information such as food preferences and type of diet they are on. The diet aides also provide stock of common snack items in the units that other staff members have quick access to if a patient wants a small nourishment.
The overall impact that the food service staff and dietitians provide allows for a positive food experience and brings a positive mental health element to patients.
Hannah Margolese, Dietetic Intern
