Patients and Food

Patients and Food All personal anecdotes are retold by Susan, a retired nurse.

I will never forget my patient I'll call “Ann”. She was 32 years old, and weight 420 pounds, at 5’1” tall. Ann was a sweet and very friendly girl. She was hospitalized to get insulin injections regulated, so it was not anticipated to be a long stay. Her blood tests were very abnormal, and she ended up being hospitalized for 9 days.

Isn't it strange? When a patient has a family member “sneak” them food in, I suppose they think we are nose blind. You cannot expect to be served a hamburger and fries, or fried chicken, and not have a lingering odor of the food in a very small room. Ann would complain that we were not serving her enough food, and what she was served was not good, according to her.

However, she would eat most of it, and as I found out pretty quickly, she was also eating whatever her mom brought her. On many occasions the lingering odor of pizza remained in Ann's room directly following her mother’s visits. So, I tried talking with Ann, explaining she was to be following a controlled diet, and her blood glucose remained dangerously high. Eventually Ann was discharged due to lack of cooperation, as her mother would or could not stop bringing her food.

Related: Patients with Parasites So, as nurses, what can you do in situations that outside food is brought into patients that are on controlled diets? Educating the patient and their family member is the number one best option, but that does not always work.

Many hospitals will actually suggest other resources for patients that do not comply with their dietary restrictions, a hospital social worker should be familiar with this policy. Assigning a case worker to a patient may be beneficial, in keeping track with their needs and goals. In extreme cases, there may need to be a checkpoint that every item brought to the patient is checked prior to entering their room. This may seem extreme;however, it also may save a life.

Alternatives For those relatives and visitors that are determined to bring something to the patient, try to convert their focus from foods. Books, magazines, handheld devices, knitting, etc., anything to keep the hands occupied. It takes the human mind 21 days to develop a new habit, and this can include switching an emotional eating habit to a different pastime.

Hospital Rules & Guidelines Some hospitals have rules in place regarding outside foods. Many specialty hospitals, such as weight loss facilities enforce rules regarding outside deliveries of foods regardless of what type. It can be especially difficult for patients that lean toward emotional eating, if you are hospitalized, it's a difficult time, there are numerous concerns and fears, which can be on the emotional eating urge. A therapist may help to provide coping mechanisms and self-meditation to help patients learn various means of coping with depression and stress.

Outside delivery services may also be permitted to deliver to hospitals. This can range from a bouquet of flowers, to candy, cookies, and even pizza.

Encouragement toward the patient to follow their plan should be continued, and your supervisor or human resource department can advise on the rules regarding outside deliveries.

Related: What is Prader Willi Syndrome?

With the constant advertising of fast foods, both on television, and the internet, it can be a struggle for anyone that is working to control caloric intake. You cannot watch TV without seeing happy, and thin people enjoying some type of food. For a patient lying in a hospital bed, television is one of the few forms of entertainment they may have, it's easy to see how they may be fighting constant temptations. A hospital dietician may work with patients that struggle with diet. They can suggest alternative means of preparing foods, and alternatives to high fat foods.

It can be a bit of a challenge to monitor patients that have food brought in, but if the patient has been prescribed a particular diet, it may be necessary to observe. The severity of a patient's condition may dictate how strict the restrictions are, and how their dietary program may be implemented into their care. In most cases a social worker or case manager will inform the patient of their expected participation. There are some instances that if a patient does not follow dietary protocol, their insurance carrier may require they be released from hospital care due to lack of progress. The bottom line: A hospital stay is not a vacation.

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