Didn't get the correct food

92 year-old V.‚ who suffered from dementia‚ was admitted to hospital in January 2005. Her daughter told Age Concern that V. was not given the help she needed to eat. Many times‚ V’s food was left untouched on her bedside table and taken away by the catering staff at the end of mealtimes. It was established at the start of V.’s stay on the ward that her food had to be pureed‚ as this was the only way she could ingest her food.

However‚ she was often offered meals that were not pureed and‚ if she was present at the mealtime‚ V.’s daughter would have to ask for an appropriate meal. On one occasion‚ V. was given mashed potato and lumpy bits of meat despite the fact that some people with dementia cannot swallow lumpy bits of food. On another occasion‚ an auxiliary tried to feed her macaroni cheese. V.’s

family resorted to bringing in food she could eat‚ like yoghurt and soup. The catering staff were often impatient with serving food to the patients and their behaviour was not challenged by the nursing staff.

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