ABSTRACT
If the patient is able to feed him-or herself: Ensure that any symptoms such as pain, nausea or constipation are dealt ➤ with, as these symptoms will have an effect on appetite. Ensure that good oral hygiene is being given and that the patient’s ➤ dentures (if worn) fi t properly. Talk to the patient about their dietary preferences and dislikes, and liaise ➤ with the kitchen staff to enlist their help. Ensure that meals are provided in small quantities at the right ➤ temperature and at regular intervals. Ensure that the patient is comfortable, able to reach their meal, and has ➤ the correct implements to use. If the patient is breathless, eating can be diffi cult (remember what it feels ➤
easily swallowed, such as soups and puddings. If the patient is prone to feeling nauseated, removing the lids from plates ➤ of food can reduce the sudden surge of smell that can make the feeling of nausea worse. If you are caring for a patient who is having prescribed supplementary ➤ drinks – the kind that are usually supplied in small cartons – there are ways of making these more appetising. There can be nothing worse than drinking from a small carton that has been standing around in a warm room. Most people fi nd these drinks more palatable if they are well chilled and presented in a glass or other drinking vessel. Some patients get on very well using a straw to suck up fl uids. However, ➤ when a patient becomes very weak, the effort of sucking liquid up a straw may be too much for them. If this is the case, a small funneled beaker may be more helpful.
