Mealtime Management
Managing Mealtimes in the Home
Support activity
Support workers may work with people who require mealtime assistance and follow written meal preparation and delivery instructions.
Support Workers support the client's choice of meals and food preferences and look for opportunities to engage the client in food preparation activities.
Make mealtimes an enjoyable social experience for our clients.
They may require relevant training, although this work typically involves something other than specialist skills.
Support Workers to:
Support Workers support the client's choice of meals and food preferences and look for opportunities to engage the client in food preparation activities.
Make mealtimes an enjoyable social experience for our clients.
They may require relevant training, although this work typically involves something other than specialist skills.
Support Workers to:
- Read, interpret and implement mealtime management plans
- Follow food preparation procedures
- Deliver food and monitor eating to identify and respond to risks, allergies, difficulty swallowing - dysphagia
- Arranging/supporting postural requirements for effective swallowing position
- Report any food-related client issues, such as under-eating, over-eating, poor nutritional food choices, coughing, and/or dysphagia
Support workers knowledge
- Food allergy signs and symptoms - rashes, coughing, anaphylaxis
- Signs and symptoms of swallowing and feeding difficulties
- risks associated with eating and swallowing, (in)ability to position the client for mealtimes
- risks associated with not following the mealtime plan
- food preparation requirements and methods for common conditions, e.g. people with dysphagia
- awareness of procedures and methods for including medication in food where this is required by the plan, including an understanding of crushable/non-crushable medication
- common terminology related to mealtime preparation and modified meals