NHS Grampian helping patients with communication difficulties to choose their meals when they are in

NHS Grampian has launched a pictorial menu initiative to help a wide range of patients with communication difficulties to choose their meals when they are in hospital.

A team including dietitians, catering specialists and speech and language therapists, with NHS Grampian’s Corporate Graphics, have worked together to create booklets showing full colour photographs of the meals, side orders and finger food provided by the NHS Grampian catering service during a single week. There is a booklet for each of the three weeks of the rolling programme of menus.

Fiona Flett, Project Lead and NHS Grampian Speech and Language Therapy and Learning Disabilities Manager, said: “The requirement for a pictorial menu has been identified across NHSGrampian hospitals and we are very pleased to provide this. Those with any communication impairment, or who have English as a second language, may have to rely on others to make their meal choices, as the current system involves reading, writing or using your memory. The menus will be of great benefit to provide the person-centred care we all strive to deliver and allow individuals with additional needs the opportunity to be empowered to choose their own meals.”

The menus are designed to be used by, or with, adult inpatients who have learning difficulties, learning impairment, aphasia (difficulty in communicating with spoken or written words), dementia, neurological conditions, literacy difficulties, or who have English as a second language.

Isobel Mackenzie, Acute Learning Disability Nurse Advisor, said: “Patients may wish to look at the pictures in the weekly booklet independently and indicate to a healthcare support worker or nurse which items they would like to eat, or they may wish to have support from staff in making their selections. Staff are using the new menus and initial feedback shows that patients feel valued and better supported. Staff say the menus are a great way to help patients make their choices.”

Lead Dietitian Sheila Riddoch said: “In a hospital setting, appealing food and good nutrition is vitally important to help improve health and quality of life. Making the most of opportunities for the people we care for in hospital to eat and drink is fundamental to improving consumption.”

Donna Dawson, Assistant Speech and Language Therapist, added: “Patients and focus groups who tested the pictorial menus were very supportive and positive about the impact that the new menus would have on improving the patient experience.”

All of NHS Grampian’s hospitals for adults have the pictorial menu booklets.