DIET AND FEEDING THE SICK

ASSESMAENT OF DIET AND DIET HABIT OF PATIENT

On the first day of admission of patient the nurse in charge of diet should access the dietry habit of the patient from the patient and the relatives.The following detail may be obtained during the first interview.

• Whether the appetite of patient has changed recently or not.Whether the patient knows regarding the cause of change or not.
• In the patien opinions his appetite is large or small.
• Whether or not he has lost or gained weight recently.
• Whether there is any relation to pain to his food,its nature and timings.
• Whether the patient takes small numbers of large meals and large numbers of small meals.
• Whether any food upsets him.
• What types of food normally he takes or likes.
• Whether he is taking any special diet and if so whether of his own or by advise of friends or a doctor.
• What is about his drinking habit?
• Whether he finds any difficulty during chewing or swallowing?
• Any information regarding bowel habit and type of motion.

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IMPORTANT POINTS REGARDING FEEDING THE SICK 

• Therapeutic values.
• Ability of patient for self help.
• Appeal to the sense of sight,taste and temperature.
• Digestibility and nutritive value of food staffs.

Therapeutic value 

The therapeutic value of diet and the type of diet is accessed by the doctor and ordered for feeding to the nurse.Many times diet becomes an important part of treatment and the major part of recovery depends of diet alone.When a special diet is prescribed no substitute diet should be given by the nurse.When no restriction is prescribed for diet by doctor,a nurse may change the diet according to wishes of patient.The diet slip or register with the type of diet and the patient name and bed number etc.Are send to kitchen in charge for providing the diet.

ABILITY FOR PATIENT FOR SELF HELP

While serving the diet to patient,attention is paid by nurse to patients comfort.The diet or food tray should be conveniently placed within the comfortable reach of patient.The comfortable position of patient is maintained. 

A helpless paralytic or disable patient should be fed by nurse if other attendant or relatives are not availble.The should be done with sympathy  and with smilling face. The patient should be fed that the nurse takes intrest to feed him and not hesitantly or with pressure.The following procedure is adopted while feeding a disabled or paralytic patient.

• Take a comfort position for feeding may be sitting or standing.
• Do not show any sign of hurry and annyance.
• Ask the patient to masticate properly taking his own time.
• Auggest for a drink or glass of water before the patient asks for it.
• For liquid diet,use a feeding cup properly cleaned.
• While feeding a delirious or semi conscious patient or a violent mental patient,never use breakable crockery for feeding.
• All patient on liquid diet should be given feeding two hourly or according to doctor advise.
• All feeds should be measured if intake and output chart is maintained.
• While feeding the patient note the general attitude of patient towards food,the amount of food taken by the patient and whether the patient showed any sign of liking or disliking towards food.

APPEAL TO THE SENSE OF SIGHT ,TASTE AND TEMPERATURE 

The nurse should ensure proper display or presentation of food to the patient before starting of feed.The food which is required to be served hot and cold food should be served cold.The nurse should ensure proper cleaning of dining table if any.Nursing appliances like ounce measure,sputum cup or bed pan or urinal should be kept camouflied before feeding starts.   

DIGESTIBILITY AND NUTRITIVE VALUE  

Select foods which patient likes simutaneously keeping in view of doctors advise for food.Very sick patients should be served quantity of food at frequent intervals.This induces good

appetite and promotes good digestion.