Hospital Food Intervention
My dear friend is in hospital again having undergone yet another surgery to battle cancer. Cancer that has ravaged her body and resulted in the elimination and redirection of major organs that aid in the digestion and passing of food. After visiting today I was astounded by the lunch tray that arrives for her. With a nutritionist providing the do’s and don’t sheet for her diet this morning, you would think that what she is fed would adhere to that advice. It does not.
No coffee, tea or caffeinated products – but there it is for breakfast and lunch. No celery but here we have cream of celery soup in front of her. Added to her cream of soup, is ice cream, milk and apple juice. If that was me I would be unable to eat lunch; being lactose intolerant and I can’t tolerate caffeine I would be starving in there.
You would think given the nature of her surgery there would be specific care directed to her meals. This is not the case, even with her last surgery I was questioning the choices made for a stomach and bowel that is now severely compromised.
Yes, I get the fact that making special diets for everyone in the hospital would be difficult and costly but shouldn’t there be exceptions? Given her circumstances and the strict rules as she moves from liquid, to pureed, to certain solid foods, wouldn’t it be logical to be encouraging proper dietary health care?
It is like one hand of the system doesn’t know what the other is doing. Multiple people coming in and out who may be undoing the work of the other. If they don’t want to take care of a patients diet then let the family know and work out some instructions for bringing in food. I mean, her mother brought in fruit, her friend brought in broth, it is already happening in the hopes she eats and keeps it inside.
There needs to be a hospital food intervention!
Is what they are feeding patients really healthy? Is all that milk based product what people need? Is there certain meats that should be a no, no in patient care? With all we hear about healthy cooking and foods wouldn’t it seem prudent to make sure the hospitals are providing just that?
She didn’t want to eat her meals, she was disappointed and fearful. Can you blame her? Most of what was on the list of “do not eat” was being given to her. That’s crazy!
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In today’s medical world, Nutritionists who provide specific diets should be, as they are here in the U.K. and the U.S. should be on staff, supervising patient’s dietary needs.
Even apart from the ethical and medical issues involved in hospital care and treatment, surely there must be liability issues for hospital kitchen staff, in providing prohibited dietary items.
Maybe the oncologist/specialist/consultant needs to “read the staff the riot act” and act as an active patient advocate.
I know, from my experience in 2001, that this was what my husband and my wonderful Sudanese Oncology surgeon, had to resort to when I was six weeks off being untreatable..(When Nursing staff in the Canadian Hospital were actively blocking and ignoring his orders.)
It is sad but not too surprising,to hear what is happening with your friend…But this is Kick A.. and Patient advocacy time!
Thanks for your additional thoughts on this topic and sharing your personal experience with this.
Despite the discussions with staff/Doctors today by her partner and mother she still is receiving meals she can’t eat. Very sad indeed. It is a shame that the hospitals don’t have the ability to adopt a more holistic approach to the healing of patients. The argument of cost comes up but in the grand scheme of things we all know the likelihood of a patient return to the hospital is greater if post operative and preventative care is not fully addressed. Patient advocacy is so important thanks for that reminder.