Hospital food often gets a bad reputation for being unappetising and nutritionally inadequate. However, good nutrition is an important part of the healing process. As a patient or family member, you can advocate for better quality, nutritious meals during a hospital stay. Here are some tips on how to go about improving your hospital food experience.
Get Educated
The first step is learning about the benefits of nutritious hospital meals and the standards your hospital should be meeting. Read articles in publications like The Hospital Caterer, the official journal of the Hospital Caterers Association, to get insight into hospital food service best practices. You can also research things like:
- The role nutrition plays in patient recovery and wellbeing
- Recommended hospital meal nutrition standards, such as those from the British Dietetic Association
- Any hospital food initiatives or commitments your hospital has signed up for
Arm Yourself with Facts
With a good understanding of hospital food issues, you can present facts to hospital decision makers. Useful information includes:
- Malnutrition rates among hospital patients
- Statistics on how nutrition aids patient recovery
- Survey results on patient satisfaction with hospital meals
- Examples of hospitals that have improved their food service
Connect with the Right People
Hospital food services involve many departments. Key contacts include:
- Patient experience/advocacy department
- Food service director and dietitian
- Nursing unit manager
- Patient and family advisory council
Schedule an initial meeting to get to know the staff and voice your concerns. Present them with solutions rather than just complaints.
Propose Ideas for Improvement
Constructive ideas for enhancing nutrition may include:
- Increasing nutrition staffing levels
- Implementing new cooking methods to make food more appetising
- Expanding menu options to support therapeutic diets
- Allowing outside food delivery from family and local restaurants
- Introducing a produce prescription programme for discharged patients
Form an Advocacy Group
Partnering with other like-minded patients and family members can give your cause more weight. Activities could include:
- Circulating a petition demanding better meals
- Organising a hospital food awareness event
- Launching a social media campaign such as #BetterHospitalFood
Seek Media Attention
Pitch your story to local media outlets. Positive publicity about your advocacy efforts can put pressure on the hospital while highlighting the importance of nutritious food.
Collect Patient Feedback
Conduct patient surveys and document patient stories to quantify dissatisfaction with current hospital meals. Submit this data to food service leadership and the patient advocacy office.
Become a Food Ambassador
Ask about volunteering on the hospital’s food service or patient advisory committee. Or apply for openings on the hospital board. From the inside, you can really drive food quality initiatives.
Partner with Community Groups
Engage outside support from health-focused community organizations, food banks, culinary schools or non-profits. Their volunteers and resources can boost your advocacy efforts.
With passion and persistence, patients and families can give hospital leaders the business case and public backing needed to drive positive changes around food. Nutritious, appetising meals that aid the healing process should be the standard at every hospital.
