PUBLIC HEALTH
ENGAGING, INSPIRING AND CELEBRATING: NUTRITION AND HYDRATION WEEK Caroline Lecko Clinical Improvement Manager, NHS Improvement
Nutrition and Hydration Week 2017 (13th to 19th March) is upon us. Who would have thought that we would be looking to celebrate our sixth year of a campaign that is quite simply all about engaging, inspiring and celebrating everything that is amazing about nutrition and hydration!
Caroline Lecko is one of the Nutrition and Hydration Week co-leads, a partner at Nutrition and Hydration Associates and currently Clinical Improvement Manager at NHS Improvement.
It is worth just reminding ourselves what Nutrition and Hydration Week is about: it’s a global social movement to improve the provision of nutrition and hydration which started back in 2012 as a one-off patient safety week and how it has grown! Now an annual event, celebrated by many countries around the world, Nutrition and Hydration Week continues to go from strength to strength, thanks to the incredible support of dietitians, caterers, nurses, hospitals, care homes, community services, suppliers and manufacturers. More recently, Nutrition and Hydration Week has seen support from schools and several larger employers. We thank you all for the support and involvement. SO, WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE WEEK 13TH TO 19TH MARCH?
Well, to be honest, anything goes . . . The Nutrition and Hydration Week campaign is not about telling you what to do, as we believe that it is your week and that you should be able to use the week to do the things that are important to you. All we ask is that you share your plans and events with us at Nutrition and Hydration Week, so that we can share them in our newsletters, on social media and on our website. Here are some highlights from 2016: Gillibrand Hall Nursing Care Home held a week-long challenge to increase the fruit and vegetable intake of the 8
www.NHDmag.com March 2017 - Issue 122
residents. Their chef Dan offered smoothies and fresh fruit juice and fruit for breakfast and put fruit in scones and puddings. The Home invited their very own dietitian to an event that was also attended by their nutrition and fluid champions, the chef, nurses and care assistants. The senior management team were also invited to join in with the residents’ dining experience and to talk about the food offered and went on to use the feedback to change the menus. They also held a ‘bake off’ which was judged by the residents and the cakes were served as part of a vintage afternoon tea party. To round the week off, a mocktail party was held, which was a great way to increase fluid intake. Our colleagues at the Hungarian Dietetic Association also had a busy week. After a successful World Tea Party in 2015 with 550 residents, they wanted to make their second World Tea Party event a memorable occasion. The World Tea Party was held at the Department of the Dietetics and Nutrition Sciences of the Semmelweis University on 16th March 2016 and was open to 60 final year BSc students and 20 MSc students of the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition Sciences. The event included a welcome speech by Mrs Jolán Kubanyi, President of the Hungarian Dietetic Association and a presentation entitled ‘Importance of hydration’ by Ms Zsuzsanna Szűcs, Chair of the Science Committee of the Hungarian Dietetic Association. At the event, different kinds of