Nutrition and Hydration Week 2019

This week we are celebrating Nutrition and Hydration Week which aims to highlight, promote and celebrate improvements in the provision of nutrition and hydration within the care sector.

Good nutrition and hydration are extremely important in residential and dementia care and it’s vital we, as a care provider, ensure residents receive a healthy and balanced diet on a consistent basis and are well hydrated.

At both Cramlington House and West Farm, managers and care staff work closely with the head chef to ensure nutrition is tasty, enjoyable and safe for every resident.

Talking about the importance of nutrition at Craig Healthcare, our General Manager Loraine Brunton said: “Good nutrition is a key priority for us. Often appetites reduce when getting older, but we have a variety of choices to help stimulate and encourage intake. Working alongside a nutritionist and our care staff, our head chef in each home provides a menu of choice with appetising, nutritionally balanced food for each meal time. Throughout the day, there are also regular intervals where residents are encouraged to drink water so that they remain adequately hydrated.”

Today, Wednesday March 13^th, specifically marks Swallowing Awareness Day. Some of our residents do have eating, drinking and swallowing (dysphagia) difficulties and dysphagia affects 68% of those living with dementia in care homes.

We work carefully with those residents who have dysphagia by creating safer swallowing environments for them. This includes specialist diets that are adapted to guidance from speech and language therapists who work with residents living with us so that they can lead a normal life, ensuring nutritional and hydration needs are met.

For more information about dysphagia, please visit: https://bit.ly/2P6CDTW

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What people are saying

"I am very pleased with how my mother has settled in and generally how supportive and caring the staff are. This has given us peace of mind knowing that she is safe & well looked after. Thank you."
"Our mum has been a resident at Cramlington House for over a year and we have nothing but praise for the friendly, approachable staff and management. We always feel like part of an extended family and when we visit nothing is too much bother. We are completely happy with the standard of care, support and understanding we all receive as a family."
"From the first day, I knew it was the place for my mum. Clean, friendly staff, lovely environment! My mum would not get the opportunity to do the activities she is experiencing if she was not in Cramlington House. It is home from home and we can visit anytime. I can't say enough of how great Cramlington House is. "
"This is an absolutely superb care facility. The staff say that this is the home of the residents, in which they work - and they evidence that philosophy every day. In the last months of our mother's long life, we took comfort form the fact that she was safe and secure, being well-fed and looked after. The entire care team are brilliant. "
"All the staff at West Farm have provided such wonderful care, compassion and support to my auntie. We both feel incredibly lucky to have found West Farm, it’s been the perfect home for my auntie. I can honestly say, hand on heart, every aspect of the care provided by each member of staff at West Farm has been outstanding."