Supporting patients to access appropriate nutritional advice or information during a pandemic can be challenging. Here are some of reflections and learning on how to do this.
During lockdowns, whilst social distancing measures are still in place and to deal with patients with accessibility issues, healthcare staff should aim to:
- use short phone and video calls and frequently assess the provision of recommendations and resources
- inform patients what services can support them and what referral processes are to self refer. Thus, this will educate and empower patients to self-manage their conditions
- adapt resources for people with learning disabilities
- listen to patient desires and concerns – do not dismiss due to their age or due to recognising more mental health symptoms. A differential diagnosis should be undertaken to rule out post-COVID syndrome before dismissing this as a symptom
- protect time to support patient recovery
- be mindful of cultural and ethnic aspects associated with diet
- avoid using medical jargon to communicate with patients
- be mindful of social isolation and the impacts of this on mental health, diet and nutrition