Volunteer Mealtime Assistance Education The Ryde Hospital Dietetics and Speech Pathology teams in collaboration with the Ryde Hospital Volunteer Coordinators, have re-commenced the Volunteer Mealtime Assistance (VMA) education program that temporarily ceased due to COVID-19 pandemic. The program aims to assist patients with eating and drinking, maintain safe swallowing and feeding, maximise nutritional intake, reduce weight loss, reduce dehydration, reduce pressure on nursing staff during peak periods, and increase patients’ pleasure and satisfaction at mealtimes. Around half of local hospital patients are malnourished. Malnutrition often worsens during hospitalisation, increases medical complications and delays recovery, resulting in longer hospital stays, and increased potential for hospital re-admission. Almost a third of patients eat less than half their meal at each mealtime. Reduced consumption at mealtimes may be due to difficulty with self-feeding and lack of energy or motivation. Many patients need assistance at mealtimes, including those with swallowing impairments and Speech Pathology recommendations for modified diet and fluid consistencies, and staff often don’t have capacity to provide the level of assistance required. Previous VMA programs have demonstrated positive outcomes from theses include increased energy intake, increased number of patients consuming their entire meal, decreased waiting times for mealtime assistance, and reduced pressure on nursing staff. Three volunteers attended the first training session and subsequently passed the competency assessment. This will allow them to assist patients at mealtimes by opening packages, cutting up food and placing straws in drinks to help improve oral intake; provide support and encouragement to patients who need extended time to eat their meals; be a friendly face, have a conversation over a meal, and encourage oral intake. Patients, their families, and staff greatly appreciate volunteer assistance at mealtimes. Anyone interested in joining the Volunteer Mealtime Assistance program can contact the Volunteer Office: NSLHD-Volunteers@health.nsw.gov.au or (02) 9462 9936.
Loud Shirt Day
Ryde Hospital will be celebrating Loud Shirt Day on Friday 18 October. Wear your brightest, loudest shirt or scrubs, have fun and help raise awareness for those with hearing loss.
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