Vegan or Vegetarian in Care or Hospital

Following an accident earlier this year, I have been visiting my local hospital as an outpatient fairly regularly. My appointment is often around lunchtime so go to the cafeteria for a cuppa. Healthy eating posters decorate the walls but are not matched by what is on offer to buy. The choices are pies, sausage rolls, toasties and cakes. I shudder to think what a coeliac would find to eat.

Having worked at that hospital myself for well over thirty years, I find myself feeling quite embarrassed by this. Surely, of all places, a hospital should be leaders in supplying healthy options for any dietary needs?

As an aside, this cafeteria is part of a chain. Previously it was run by the WRVS who were able to rustle up freshly made food and whose awareness of diets and general healthy food seemed much better.

No doubt there are some essential diet points re diabetes, for example, but in my opinion getting the NHS fully operational again in treating patients is more important than the range of food on offer. Waiting 12 hours for A&E admission undoubtedly contributes to excess deaths.

It is some twelve hears since I retired, but prior to that one of my jobs in a large London hospital was taking the minutes at the Dietary Committee. This controlled everything to do ith providing meals for in-patients.

Even back then, there had to be so very many options - Vegetarian, Vegan, obviously special diets such as gluten, dairy free, etc. Then added to this, each of these also had to be suitable for Jewish and Muslim patients, etc. It was a nightmare, both for the in-house caterers and the nurses, who had to take time out of their nursing duties to serve these meals and then assist many patients to eat them.

A ward of 24 patients could involve as many as twelve or more different types of meals.

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Although drifting a bit from the original question, I completely agree that folk in care should be supported in their beliefs and practices. It can be very difficult though for staff, especially when those suffering from dementia appear to change their minds.

Susan56 I'm diabetic T2 and eat a very low carb diet. Sandwiches would not be good for me. I don't eat bread

GagaJo

Peasblossom

Honestly I don’t see why the NHS should feed relatives of patients. Having spent years accompanying my husband in hospital, I always provided my own food.

Wouldn’t have thought otherwise.

I think the original post is referring to food given to patients.

Oh yes, I was referring to Shazzakanazzas post as a relative who wasn’t herself provided with her choice of food and wanted that addressed.

She’s since come back to explain more fully.

Granny23, these are really interesting examples. It is such a shame that people can be committed to causes their whole lives and are not supported to maintain those beliefs when they are older. In some cases, people make advanced statements, explaining how they want to live when they are older, but this relies on the care home or hospital reading these wishes and acting on them. One charity that does a lot of work on how people are treated in care beyond diet is Compassion in Care.

peasblossom just to clarify my point about expecting to be fed when accompanying my uncle for his cataract. I took my own food expecting when he went for his op to be able to go and sit in my car. He was being put to sleep so was sitting on the ward with him from 12 to 7 pm. They asked me what they could get me as I was there seven hours and I said nothing I’ve brought my own. But they said we are sorry you can’t leave. So I had taken my own i never expected anything to be provided and was shocked to be offered. Have to say they couldn’t have been more apologetic. When he goes back for his next eye done I’ll be very prepared.

It’s a struggle to get decent nutritional food in hospital for omnivorous patients yet alone if you are vegetarian or vegan. I don’t understand why you can’t pay for your food whilst in hospital as you would have paid for it at home. If you can’t afford it you would still benefit from the improved service. Once we did away with catering officers and our own hospital kitchens the standards dropped and went down hill. Decent food is part of getting well.

I'd like to broaden the discussion to include other human rights issues which are not respected in Care Homes. My own particular beef is that my DH was not permitted to Vote as someone had registered him as 'lacking capacity'. This for a man who had been a near life long supporter/ donater/ activist for the SNP - indeed was still a member and still donating. He was also banned from flying a small saltire in his room, whilst various Rangers or Celtic supporters were permitted to wear or show their colours.

Bizarrely, he was included each week in a men's prayer group run by the Church of Scotland ( I expect on the basis that he was not a Catholic, so must be protestant!?! (He was neither). He did not object to these sessions because they were lovely people and also provided tea and proper biscuits e.g. his favourite Kit-Kats.

As far as I am aware (though DH was happy to eat anything) this home was assiduous in meeting dietary needs. So religion and football affiliation accepted by not devotion to a cause seen as 'political'

My FIL also spent his last years in a Care setting, where all the gentlemen (but not the ladies) were given a glass of sweet stout every evening. Two questions?? 1) if beneficial for the men why not the Ladies? 2) were they aware that, like many in FIL's generation he had signed the pledge and never touched any alcohol his whole life until then.

Our local care home has won awards for its food, and caters well for vegetarians (honestly not sure about vegans).
However, DH laughed when he saw one of the accolades which said they provided healthy vegetarian food without too much reliance on eggs, cheese & pastry ('oh dear!' he said!)

I am vegetarian and diabetic.The last time I was in hospital although the staff were really good about making sure I ate the only choice seemed to be sandwiches which was fine for a couple of days.Not sure how I would have felt if my stay had been longer!

Also when I was in A and E with both my husband and daughter the staff were really good when I said I was diabetic and again brought me sandwiches rather than me having to go searching for food.

Good point JoeVfL that some people are vegetarian because of their religious beliefs.

A relative with T2 diabetes has encountered woeful ignorance from nursing staff who were native speakers of English.
Simply absence of knowledge about what is suitable for someone who is using diet to control their diabetes.

The same relative is also vegetarian, btw, but wasn't surprised by lack of knowledge or suitable food in that area.

Thanks for the feedback so far. Thanks DaisyAnne for raising the point about health concerns and nutrition. There are charities out there highlighting concerns for those with allergies and celiac for instance. With people on meat-free diets, its important to make sure they stay healthy and that care providers understand how to make sure they have nourishing food. For us, there is the health concerns, and the issues around dignity. We want to make sure that people have the right to practice their beliefs and they shouldn't lose this right just because they are in care

i guess it was unusual circumstances in that people had to stay confined to the unit all day.
she must have not known that before, else would not have left the food in the car.
in the olden days, it was normal to come and go, buy food from hosp cafe or nearby places, bring it back to share with patient, or nibble while waiting for them.

My daughter is veggie. She had my GS in Spain. When she told them she was vegetarian, she was given plain boiled rice. No fruit, bread, cheese.

Peasblossom

Honestly I don’t see why the NHS should feed relatives of patients. Having spent years accompanying my husband in hospital, I always provided my own food.

Wouldn’t have thought otherwise.

I think the original post is referring to food given to patients.

(I've added my comments to the survey.)

Honestly I don’t see why the NHS should feed relatives of patients. Having spent years accompanying my husband in hospital, I always provided my own food.

Wouldn’t have thought otherwise.

i wouldn't trust some of the food provided in hosps if i was a strict vegetarian, esp things like desserts, fools etc.
these are often said to be vegetarian on the menu request card.
but with commercial catering contracts, items are often changed and no thought is given to these issues.
some fools etc have gelatine.
the catering service don't care or know. they just give out the food. many of the front-line staff on the ground have very little english and do not even understand the issue, even if the patient has noticed that there may be a problem.
nursing staff are too busy.

DaisyAnne you are spot on. When I was in hospital for the day a couple of years ago. I looked at the special menu as I’m coeliac and picked a chickpea gluten free curry. Imagine chickpeas in watery gravy it was awful.
A few weeks ago I took my uncle for a cataract op, I could stay with him all day as he’s vulnerable and had to stay on the unit and couldn’t leave. They could offer me nothing that day to eat. In fact they went into a bit of a spin when I told them. Luckily I took some food with me but had left it in my car so I had to have special permission to leave the unit so I could get my food. This really does need addressing.