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Cooking and food are a major part of many cultures. For several families I've worked with, this has been the case. (I've worked in Home Health for 2 yrs or so)

That being said it was a normal occurance for them to offer their nurses food. In their culture, and plenty others including my own ancestors', its considered rude and even insulting to refuse the offer. It is viewed as a gift and gesture of thankfulness on their part. For me, it's never been an issue. I've learned a lot of great cooking tips/recipes from these families. :p :)

I know for some of you, this is an ABSOLUTE no-go. Food allergies, sensitive stomach, just personal preference... what ever the reason may be.

Others are comfortable with accepting food from the patient/family you work with (granted these were well-kept hygienic homes/individuals)

Even if you don't work in Home Health, I have heard from nurses that work in Nursing Homes, Hospitals,.etc. where this is a commen occurrence as well. So I'd like to hear from everyone! Please:laugh:

What is your personal policy on accepting food gratuities from the pt/pt's family?

Specializes in Home Health, Mental/Behavioral Health.
My time in home health and hospice taught me to take each interaction as it comes. If it was a client I was familiar with and with whom I'd been involved in a while, it probably was accepted. More often than not, declining was perceived as rude. If it was a new-to-me client, I probably would turn it down, because the rapport and trust (both ways) had not been established.

In my experience, it was just them extending courtesy by offering, not because they really wanted to use up their resources to feed others.

The most I was offered, usually, was a snack or treat like cookies at Christmas. At one death I attended way out in the boonies (that took me 90 minutes to get to--and the mortuary just as long after I'd arrived) I eagerly took coffee as it was 2 am or so and I still had to get back home. This lovely family did not have a coffee pot or filters. They boiled the grounds and just poured the mixture, grounds and all, into the cup. It was an effective means to keep me alert to drive the unfamiliar country roads back home. Never once did I deign to grimace as I chewed/swallowed the concoction. I did ask for a bit more sugar though.

Two memorable hospice patients/families did give me parting gifts, though. I accepted them because it, for me, was a token of my honored invitation to be a part of their difficult time. It was actually three patients, but two were a couple. Some tchotchke cup and saucer from an incomplete collection from one, and an imperfect porcelain tea kettle from the other. Valuable to me only in that they honor my services and their memories.

That's beautiful. Even the chewy/crunchy coffee part.:inlove: Bless you for working in hospice.

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Specializes in Home Health, Mental/Behavioral Health.
From the other side of the plate, as it were: my daughter and I foster kids. She automatically had tea and cookies ready for every social work (or whomever) visit. Very few accepted. To us it is just common courtesy to offer something to a "guest" in our home, whether there for business or pleasure. I crochet lots of stuff, and offered a small bear or rabbit or something for our worker's office, and she had to explain they weren't allowed, and she took tea with us just because she felt bad about refusing every time.

As a nurse I understood completely not accepting "gratuities", but never considered offering tea a gratuity!

Yea, that does seem a bit exaggerated. That's precious, if I was a social worker and came to your home to find tea and cookies I would gladly accept!:laugh:

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

I work LTC and it is pretty common for families to bring in treats for the staff to share. At a recent residents birthday party the family brought in two big cakes, one for the residents to share and another for the staff. It's also about impossible to avoid the goodies and candies that get brought in around holidays, and often I do feel rude saying no when the family has gone out of their way to bring in a little something for staff. If I truly don't want it I can either leave it the break room where it will for sure disappear or I can take it home for my husband to enjoy.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

Working in a pediatric hospital setting, I personally will only eat food from families that is in the breakroom if it is store bought. I can think of less than a handful of times over my 10 year career where I personally ate home made food that was handed to me. I always take the food so as not to insult anyone. But it is just a personal preference as I do not know the condition of anyone's home, hygiene, etc. Same goes for my coworkers as well.

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Specializes in Home Health, Mental/Behavioral Health.
or I can take it home for my husband to enjoy.

Yep! Or the the kiddos lol

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Specializes in Home Health, Mental/Behavioral Health.
I also make mental notes of how many patient's with MRSA abscess "spider bites" come in wearing their food service industry uniforms.

Oooooooohhhhhh nooooooo :yuck::bluecry1:

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Specializes in Stepdown telemetry, vascular nursing..

Zahtar, or Za'atar!! Good stuff!

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This thread just made my day! It's been 4 or 5 years since my absolute favorite patient passed away. He was one of those tough old men with cardiac issues, always in and out of the hospital. He was my very first patient on my very first day of orientation and my patient many, many, many times after that! He and his wife were the sweetest couple ever! His wife would always make us homemade peanut butter fudge when his was in the hospital. You could always tell when he was inpatient because you'd see the cardiology team walking up the hall eating. They were one of the few that everyone would accept homemade goodies from.:inlove: Remembering both of them warmed my heart today!

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Specializes in Home Health, Mental/Behavioral Health.
This thread just made my day! It's been 4 or 5 years since my absolute favorite patient passed away. He was one of those tough old men with cardiac issues, always in and out of the hospital. He was my very first patient on my very first day of orientation and my patient many, many, many times after that! He and his wife were the sweetest couple ever! His wife would always make us homemade peanut butter fudge when his was in the hospital. You could always tell when he was inpatient because you'd see the cardiology team walking up the hall eating. They were one of the few that everyone would accept homemade goodies from.:inlove: Remembering both of them warmed my heart today!

I'm glad this thread made your heart cozy! YOUR story made me smile ear to ear! :) something so special about some patients/families that you can look back at years... decades... later and just smile no matter what kinda day you've had :x3:

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