Healthcare staff expand their skills to help older people maintain healthy diet
A team of healthcare assistants and district nurses have been recognised for their commitment to learning new nutrition skills to benefit their patients who leave hospital.
The staff have all completed their Level 2 Community Food and Nutrition Skills training and are now able to share healthy eating messages to older and frail patients when they leave hospital.
The training was to support a pilot project organised by the Matron Rhona Jones of Ysbyty Alltwen.
Rhona Jones, Matron of Ysbyty Alltwen, says the new skills gained by the team are helping prevent patients from returning to hospital.
She said: “We were really pleased to take part in this pilot project which involves bringing care closer to home.
“When our patients are in hospital they get to know our staff very well so when they now go out to see them at home they are familiar with who is visiting them.
“They are able to offer advice on nutrition and help them cook their food and even help with their shopping.
“This helps keep those in our community, who may be frail and need that extra bit of help, independent and it is also helping to prevent them coming back into hospital.
“It also gives us reassurance that our patients are taking care of themselves when they go home and also that they are eating well.
“I’d like to say a huge thanks to Bev and Anwen for their support and also for choosing Ysbyty Alltwen as the first site in the Health Board to take part in the project.”
The accredited training was provided by Beverly Fisher Public Health Dietician and Anwen Weightman, Dietetic Assistant Practitioner.
Beverly she was extremely proud of the team at Ysbyty Alltwen and was impressed by their commitment to the course.
She said: “It was wonderful to see them grow in confidence through the course and now taking what they’ve learnt to the homes of their former patients to ensure they have that extra support.
“I would like to congratulate them all for what they have achieved.”