Food for the soul: nurturing residents and careers in social care

Care tailor-made to situations

Round 900,000 folks within the UK reside with dementia. That is projected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040, but little continues to be recognized in regards to the illness. All of the extra purpose, to do all we will to help these dwelling with the situation.

On daily basis is totally different when caring for folks dwelling with dementia,  however no matter we do it’s bought to be proper, it’s bought to be first-class for the residents and the households who depend on us to ship nice care for his or her family members.

I joined Vida in 2018, after a profession in hospitality, so I’m already used to striving for the best requirements within the kitchen. My foremost goal is to ensure our residents obtain an enriched eating expertise, with diets tailor-made to every particular person. On a mean day, I’ll work with my unimaginable kitchen workforce to soak up meals deliveries, coordinate specialist menus (three meals a day) and even organize afternoon tea.

For almost all of individuals, meals performs an enormous half of their happiness and that is no exception for folks dwelling with dementia. Since I first began working at Vida Healthcare I’ve understood the significance of offering meals that are nourishing mentally in addition to bodily.

Whether or not it’s the menu, the feel of meals, its color, or particular elements, each selection we make is rigorously thought of.

We solely present our residents with the freshest elements and we attempt to make every meal totally different to maintain them excited and within the meals they’re consuming.

Thought for meals

A major consideration for anybody working in a care residence or with folks dwelling with dementia are the totally different dietary necessities. For instance, one symptom that may manifest is dysphagia, the place an individual has issue swallowing. This in fact signifies that we’ve got to ensure their meals is ready and cooked appropriately for them to have the ability to eat and revel in it.

Probably the most rewarding a part of my day is seeing the constructive affect we’ve got on the well being and wellbeing of Vida’s residents. For the suitable folks, a profession in care is extraordinarily rewarding.

Seeing the grins on the residents’ faces as they get pleasure from my meals provides me a lot enjoyment and I couldn’t ask for extra. It’s a mutual relationship, the place we offer the care and help our residents and households want and we obtain the gratification we’re having a constructive affect on their lives.