Dietary policy- vent

Nurses Relations

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Quick little vent. When I was sitting most recently, dietary came in to see what pt wanted for lunch. Pt is 350lb female. Dietary suggested several different possible meals, some of which were balanced (others of which I could buy at McDonald's). Pt wants something from several meal choices. Hamburger steak, grilled cheese, Mac and cheese, loaded baked potato, broccoli with cheese sauce (yay?) and apple cobbler with diet Pepsi and whole milk. Dietary didn't say a word, just entered it in computer. Really? Really?! No contempt for the pt because MAYBE pt doesn't know any better... But shouldn't there be something in place that pts can order one entree item, 2 veggie-ish sides and maybe a dessert and that's it? Come on. Ugh. Cheers, pt. Cheers to your next hospital-sanctioned obesity-related health crisis.

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.
Well then I'm very sorry that you're misunderstanding me. As I said, no judgement. This situation just makes as much sense to me as giving someone having DTs a fifth of vodka.

So obesity = the same as being an alcoholic? Judgmental much? Your pleading that you don't mean to be "judgemental" but then your next statement is a whopper of a judgement. Please learn to check that at the patients door.

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.
When I was a patient in stroke rehab almost nine years ago, I was there for six weeks, after a week in the hospital.

Knowing my husband wasn't eating properly and on some days, not much at all and I worried. Neighbors sent in food

and invited him to dinner, but he just picked at it.

Finally, with my nurse's permission,I formulated a plan. In addition to my meal, for lunch and dinner, I ordered egg

salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, or maybe a hard boiled egg, plus bread. I'd also order jello and/or a raw veggie plate,

and a piece of fruit.

It would have looked like I was eating a ton, if I hadn't had a very helpful nurse. It simply meant that my type-1 diabetic

husband didn't get sick, which was my goal.

I had a similar experience except I was feeding my husband dinner so when they picked it up they would see I had an appetite and discharge me. If I wasn't able to order mashed potatoes and gelato whenever from the kitchen I probably wouldn't have eaten for a week. Food was the ONLY thing I had control over.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
If she's paying for the food like at a restaurant, a la carte, order away! But for insurance or medicaid, it doesn't seem fair to other policy holders or tax payers that someone can contribute to their own hospital-visit-warranting- health problem without being called out on it.

A-ha---now we've reached the heart of the matter. And it isn't concern for the 350-lb. patient's health.

Apparently, it's all fine and dandy if she eats whatever she wants in the hospital, as long as she personally is footing the bill. Which means this thread is about money and forcing restrictions on competent adults based on how their medical care is financed.

Wow.

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