Nutritional support pathway benefits patients with dementia

Patients with dementia at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust are benefiting from a nutritional support pathway that focuses on improving appetite. 

The initiative uses party platters of food and other stimulation, including music, to encourage people to eat. 

Ward nurses update food and fluid charts and monitor weight, while healthcare assistants provide one-to-one practical support and ensure that patients are eating.

Healthcare assistant Lucy Gilby said: ‘We’ve spent a lot of time encouraging one patient, for example, talking about what food she enjoys and using props such as aroma stones and music. 

‘Her weight has increased substantially, along with her appetite.’

The trust's dementia care lead Jo James said: ‘We often identify pain as a reason that patients don’t want to eat, so we can then give pain relief. We might also identify anxiety or boredom and all sorts of issues alongside.’

The pathway is part of a wider drive at the trust to improve dementia care, including the introduction of a specialist cubicle in the emergency department at St Mary's Hospital to support people with dementia, and activity packs and craft workshops.