Many of the people you work with will have weakened immune systems, particularly if they have medical conditions and other health issues.
If you do not follow important food safety and hygiene guidelines, you will put individuals at serious risk of food related illness and even death. You will also put yourself at the risk of harm. If you have ever had food poisoning, you will know how unpleasant this is. With the added complication of other health issues, food related illness can be fatal for some people.

The human body depends on water to survive.
Every cell, tissue and organ in your body needs water to work properly. Your body uses water to maintain its temperature, remove waste and lubricate your joints.

Good nutrition provides energy. Energy is what your body needs to function. Just like you need to put fuel in your car or recharge your mobile phone battery, your body needs to be fed energy-providing foods every day. This means eating the right types of foods in the right proportions, and drinking the right amount of fluid. The health of a body is a direct result of the quality of what you put in it. Put rubbish into your body and you will not feel great.

Poor diet and nutrition are recognised as major contributory risk factors for ill-health and premature death.
The quality of what we put in our bodies has a direct link to the quality of our health. A well balanced diet can make an individual feel better physically and mentally.

The Government recommends an intake of at least five portions of fruit or vegetables per person per day to help reduce the risk of some cancers, heart disease and many other chronic conditions. This is a minimum.

You can help the individuals you support by making sure you know about good nutrition and hydration.
Dietary habits are the decisions an individual makes when choosing what foods to eat. Some people, cultures and religions have different food preferences and some food taboos. You should learn about these so you can build trusting relationships with the people you support.

You cannot force people to eat healthily. We can all make choices, including the people you support. Education, knowledge and understanding are very important. Educating yourself and sharing information with the people you support will help them to make informed choices. Make sure your research comes from a trusted source and is factual. The information you give individuals must not include your opinions which are not important.

Each individual will have different needs, preferences and abilities.
It is best practice to read their support plan to be able to meet these needs. If an individual has difficulty raising their left arm, but their right arm is fully able, it would make sense to place their drink nearer their right arm. Drinks should be available at all times and refreshed on a regular basis.

All water jugs should have lids.
If an individual uses a water jug, make sure it is adequately cleaned and refreshed, usually at least twice daily.

It is best practice to inform the individual if you have refreshed their glass or jug and tell them where you have placed it. Make sure it is placed within easy reach.

A person might get quite frustrated that every time they have a cup of tea, they have to explain to the worker that ‘they like it strong, with milk and two sugars’.
You need to record in the care plan what an individual has had to drink, how much and the times. This is essential if their fluid intake is being monitored but also it stops workers assuming that the person is not thirsty or has already had a drink. This helps to prevent dehydration and maintain physical wellbeing.

Some individuals may struggle to remember to drink or do not recognise when they are thirsty.
They will need regular prompts and reminders to drink to prevent dehydration.

If the weather is hot or an individual has been exercising, they are likely to need to drink more.

Do you know how to report any concerns you have to the relevant person?
You have checked the care plan, spoken to the individual and encouraged them to drink but you believe they are not drinking enough and you are concerned about dehydration. You need to report these concerns as a person’s health can deteriorate quickly without fluids.

Each individual will have different needs, preferences and abilities.
It is best practice to read their care plan to be able to meet these needs. The care plan will also highlight any food allergies and what food needs to be avoided.

Food should always be placed within reach of individuals with special thought and care given to people who have restricted movement or mobility. It is important to make sure they have the correct utensils to be able to eat.

These are some examples of bad practice so you can avoid them but also to get you thinking about the situations you may come across.

It is important that you make sure food is provided at the appropriate temperature and in accordance with the care plan so the individual is able to eat it.
This is about meeting an individual’s specific needs. You need to make sure a person who does not have capacity is not in danger of burning their mouth as they may not be able to identify if food is too hot to eat.

You also need to be aware of food safety and hygiene regulations which include the 4C’s. These are cleaning, cooking, cross-contamination and chilling. These help to prevent food related illness which is extremely important when you are working with vulnerable people.

Do you make sure that appropriate utensils are available to enable individuals to meet their nutritional needs as independently as possible?
An individual may need specialist utensils to eat and drink. Assessing a person’s needs and abilities can help you work out ways of using adapting utensils to support the individual. An Occupational Therapist may be able to help you with this.

Specially designed utensils, plates, bowls and cups can make a world of difference to individuals of all ages and with various needs.

Some individuals will need support and encouragement to eat.
Others might need encouragement to eat less.

Individuals with memory impairments, emotional upset or are feeling unwell may need prompts and guidance on when to eat and how much. Care plans will provide guidelines on individuals’ food and nutritional needs. It is important that you read and fully understand what is written in the care plan so you can follow the requirements and support the individual to do the same.

These are some of the things you can do to encourage people to eat.

You may have noticed that a person you support is eating very little or eating too much.
You may have noticed that a person has lost or gained weight recently. A person may be struggling to chew or shallow food and drink. In some cases and when the individual has mental capacity, you will be able to discuss this directly with them.

Any changes in person’s usual food and nutrition consumption needs to be reported. These changes could be due their physical wellbeing, their emotional wellbeing, a change in medication etc. and should be looked into.

You must record your concerns in their care plan and record the action you have taken.