What Are We Doing?!?! In Search of Health in Healthcare!!
Sooooo, my aunt is currently in rehab and the facility is near where we live, so I’ve been taking food to her each day. Went to drop it off yesterday and was met with new hours……that we were unaware of. We let her know the hold up and worked with the person on the desk to get the food to her. In the meantime, her doctor is making morning rounds and she expresses her disappointment in not being able to get our food. He looks at the tray that the facility sent for breakfast for her and said in disgust “What is This?” It was scrambled eggs and oatmeal. that was it!! He said, “If your family is bringing you food, why won’t they let them bring it back to you?!?!?!?”
Needless to say, we were feeling the same way. That’s the whole, entire reason that we decided to bring her food that she liked, that was healthy, and that would keep her from being constipated on her rehab journey. Yet, here we stood unable to get it to her right then. She voiced her concerns to all the staff that would listen. Each one passed the ball of responsibility to another player on the team. Finally, the dietitian came to speak to her and the options that were offered were horrible…..if you were trying to improve your health.
What are we doing???? You’d think the hospital systems were more interested in profit……you know, serving the cheapest food that they can get….instead of actually healthy food that would assist the healing process. Where is the Health in Health Care? I realize and appreciate the progress medicine has made with life-saving/stabilizing interventions. I applaud them for that. But once you are stabilized then what? There is enough evidence-based research to confirm the value of care that actually improves one’s health and reduces their risk for other disease events. That includes good, tasty, nourishing food, time outside or at least in a solarium, good, clean water to drink, honoring ones’ faith/spirituality and socialization with people who bring joy to your spirit. Right now, all I’m looking for is some good food for my aunt to eat while in rehab. It’s summertime. Fruit is plentiful. Is it that hard to get some juicy, sweet watermelon?
I decided to just google “food in hospitals”. Oh, my goodness!!! What in the whole, entire world?!?!?!?
“The terrible food in hospitals has long been one of the greatest contradictions in health care. Over the past few years, several doctors have spoken out about the lack of healthy food options and how frustrating it can be to tell their patients to make dietary changes, only to have that guidance undermined by the very hospital treating their patients.” Huffington Post
“The nonprofit organization Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine released a 2015 report found that patient meals and hospital cafeteria offerings were nothing close to healthy most of the time. Food items were high in salt, sugar, and cholesterol, and contained processed meats, according to Shilpa Ravella of The Atlantic. Another report, published in 2012 in the journal American Pediatrics, evaluated 12 California children's hospitals and found that only 7 percent of the 384 meals examined could be considered healthy.” www.attn.com
“Ironically, patients admitted to hospitals are often eating unhealthy foods that can exacerbate chronic conditions and may not be getting adequate nutrition. A study published in JAMA found that roughly one-third of patients that were admitted to a university hospital became malnourished.” Making Hospital Food Healthier
“Hospitals are serving horrible food. Doctors and patients are eating horrible food. Most importantly, most providers of health care are not being educated about food. So how can we change this perpetuating cycle of poor eating?” Hospitals Leaders in Unhealthy Food
“Hospital food also rarely caters to ethnic tastes, which can be difficult for people from different cultures while they are at the hospital. Because cafeteria contracts are extremely profitable, family members may be told not to bring in food, even when it is obvious that a patient refuses to eat the food for cultural or religious reasons.” Why is Hospital Food Often So Bad?
Even though I personally believe that a plant powered diet is the most powerful tool for combatting disease, I’m just asking for the US Health Care System to offer better options. Less processed foods. Less foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Less sugary foods. Less fried foods. More fruits and veggies and whole grains and nuts and seeds and water. Everybody knows that those foods are helpful. Then, find a good cook to help turn those foods into delicious dishes that your patients will be fighting to get to. Get a cookbook!! Find some great seasonings…….Black people can surely help you with that!!! Imagine, people fighting to get into your facility because the food is so good!!
Then, stop ignoring the cultural needs of your clients. I was fortunate enough to get care for my breast cancer at a facility in North Georgia that was on point for providing options that actually contributed to the improvement of your health. The one thing I missed was cultural food options. Sometimes, for me, some pinto beans, rice and cornbread will do a lot for my soul.
And, if you are a health professional, STAHPPP quoting that old information. I was having some bowel trouble and had an exploratory surgery. Surgeon said everything looked good and that I should eat some more fiber. I told him if I ate anymore fiber, it would have to be a tree because I was vegan. He said “What’s a vegan?” (Deep, Negro Spiritual Sigh) Take you a CEU course on Food as Medicine OR read the articles that your patients find on the internet. Google can be your friend……if you let it. Everything on there ain't trash. And, your patients will respect you a whole lot more if you speak as one who is exposed to the latest information. If you don’t know where to start visit the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Lots of resources. And, consider what this hospital actually did……grew their own food.
I just wanna know that when I or my loved ones are in the hospital that the food served is not gonna have us right back in there after discharge. That’s all I’m saying. I’m just looking for the Health in Health Care. Okay, let me go make my Aunt something else to eat.
Eat Healthy!! Health Care for Everyone!! It’s Wellness Wednesday!!
I’m Still Shoutin’ Ova Here!!
Donna
#health #healthcare #healthyfood #hospitalfood #culturalfoods #hospitalgardens #cookinupgoodhealth #rehab #wellnesswednesday #google #aclm #pcrm