Meal time assistance volunteering programme

Basic volunteer assistance:

• Assist patients to wash/wipe their hands prior to the food being served.
• Clear the side tables and wiping them prior to the food/drink being served.
• Talk through the menu and checking that each patient has his/her choice of meal adhering to any dietary restrictions.
• Position the food next to the patient.
• Open packaged items such as sandwiches if necessary.
• Make sure the patient has the correct utensils, including adapted cutlery, non-slip mats and plate guards if necessary.
• Ensure that the dignity of the patient is maintained.
• Cutting food into manageable chunks.
• Positioning food on the plate in a way that helps the patient.
• Explaining where the food is situated on the plate for those patients who are partially sighted.
• Placing food on the utensils.
• Giving verbal encouragement to patients to eat and drink.
• Offer patients/clients extra drinks observing any fluid restrictions.
• If a patient is unable to finish their meal ask why there is food left (i.e. tiredness, visual problems, denture problems or taste preferences) and inform nursing staff.
• Remove side tables and trays from the patient following mealtimes except where the red tray initiative has been implemented when they must inform the nursing staff that the patient has finished eaten and the nursing staff can record the amount eaten/left on the plate.
• Offer the patient the chance to wash their face and hands after a meal.
• Ask the patient if they require anything further.

Advanced volunteer assistance:

• Volunteers undergo a specialist training session provided by speech and language therapists. Training covers the following:
  • Responsibilities and limitations of volunteers
  • Responsibilities of nursing staff
  • Food hygiene
  • Dysphagia
  • Positioning of patients
  • Dietary guidelines
  • Best practice when feeding patients
• Volunteers are assessed for understanding at the end of their training session and are then required to be directly supervised by a Speech and Language Therapist on two separate occasions and are marked against set of practice criteria. Once the volunteers have undergone the training and have been assessed as competent on two occasions on the ward, they will be given a certificate to confirm this additional skill.
• Volunteers note any significant difficulties they or the patient has experienced during the mealtime and report to the Registered Nurse. They also record how much of the meal the patient was able to eat.
• Volunteers must not feed any patient who is receiving any intervention from the Speech and Language Therapist for any swallowing disorder and must not re-position the patient prior to feeding.