COMPASS GROUP UK & Ireland’s healthcare businesses, WhiteOaks and Medirest, are raising awareness about the importance of eating healthily and keeping hydrated for Nutrition and Hydration Week (17 – 23 March).
A range of activities will be taking place this week up and down the country at Meridirest and WhiteOaks sites to celebrate Nutrition and Hydration Week. Medirest teams operate across more than 15 sites and will be holding tea parties to encourage patients and visitors alike to keep hydrated, other teams meanwhile, will promote the initiative with food fairs and food-tasting events.
WhiteOaks operates in 45 care homes across the UK and cater for a total of 2,000 care home residents who will all be taking part in the National Tea Party on Wednesday 19 March to promote hydration. Managers and chefs of WhiteOaks have also attended extra nutrition and hydration training sessions led by Nicky Martin, Head of Nutrition at Compass Group UK & Ireland, highlighting the importance of nutrition and hydration when catering for elderly residents.
Speaking of Nutrition and Hydration Week, Maxine Cartz, lead Dietitian for healthcare at Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: “This is a really important week in the calendar and something we’re really keen to promote across hospitals and care homes. As well as raising awareness about the importance of eating healthily and keeping hydrated, we’re giving our front-line teams all the training they need to cater for both vulnerable and elderly patients and residents, whilst encouraging people to drink throughout the day – not just at meal times.”
Nutrition and Hydration Week 2014 is a collaboration between Hospital Caterers Association, National Association of Care Catering and Patient Safety First. Their mission is to create a global movement that will reinforce and focus, energy, activity and engagement on nutrition and hydration as an important part of quality care, experience and safety improvement in health and social care settings.
