This week is Nutrition and Hydration Week which our Mouth Care Matters Leads across Kent, Surrey and Sussex have been using as an opportunity to promote their work around this important subject.
A healthy mouth can impact on the ability to drink and what we eat. Supporting patients with mouth care is so important in helping patients have better nutritional intake and improve recovery.
Samantha King, our Mouth Care Matters Lead at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, has been working closely with her Nutrition Lead Nurse, Paula Price. Together they have visited wards speaking to staff, patients and visitors raising awareness about this important subject.
Brighton & Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust also promoted the importance of Mouth Care as part of Nutrition & Hydration week in a combined theme with the dietetics department. Stands were held across both sites on Tuesday and Thursday, and staff had the opportunity to participate in a Mouth Care Quiz, and also play “How does it feel?” games aiming to initiate discussions around how a patient might feel eating and drinking if for example, they did not have their dentures in, or if they had a severe dry mouth.
