Volunteers brought in to feed NHS patients

[Northerner]

VOLUNTEERS are being brought in to help feed patients in Lothian hospitals, five years after a pensioner who came up with the idea won a battle with health bosses to help them herself.

Gladys Johnson noticed that patients were often not eating their food and were going without assistance with meals when she visited her husband George at the Royal Infirmary in 2005.

As a result of the inadequacies around mealtimes, which have also been highlighted in critical reports following inspections of the ERI, she volunteered to help patients with their lunches following Mr Johnson?s death around two years later, just hours before his 77th birthday.

It took reluctant hospital bosses eight months to agree to let Mrs Johnson volunteer to help patients eat, following discussions with unions and at health committees, and the 76-year-old has given her time twice a week ever since.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/health/volunteers-brought-in-to-feed-nhs-patients-1-2771160

 

[lynsababe]

Mrs Johnson is a hero (ine) of our times.

I was a nurse more years ago than I care to remember, but I used to sit with some of the patients and feed them as if left to their own devices they either didn't want or couldn't eat, but a bit of chat and spending the time and they would eat something, often polishing it all off. Such a small thing but it makes such a big difference, with good wholesome food, and good sleep the patients were quicker to recover. Well done, Mrs Johnson.😱

 

[Pumper_Sue]

When I was in hospital a few years back, there was an elderly lady in the oposite bed to me she had a broken arm and collar bone, so couldn't manage to cut her food up. I popped out of bed and sorted it out for her as no one had time or had even thought about if she couldn't manage.
Felt so sorry for the nurses though, as so under staffed roller skates were needed for them.