The ‘Meet and Eat’ programme is inspired by television personalities,The Hairy Bikers, and gives the local community the chance to enjoy a fresh, home-made meal, some socialising and a little light entertainment.
The hospice staff and volunteers offer a range of different ways to help people be more involved, whilst raising awareness of the variety of services and facilities available and busting myths about hospice care.
Head Chef Rob Kind and his team prepare classic dishes using local ingredients with a focus on presentation, quality and nutrition, “with a little luxury thrown in for good measure.”
The lunches are open to anyone in the community and the hospice asks for a £4 payment to cover food costs.
Rob revealed the enticing menu for this week’s lunch: “Guests can look forward to pan-sautéed lemon and coriander chicken on a lentil and spinach cassoulet. This is a gourmet dish that ticks all the right food group boxes, yet looks visually appealing and is a simple recipe that our guests can take home with them.
“They can also get excited about a trio of desserts to include individual peanut butter cheesecake, a shot glass of summer berry jelly and a little caramelised banana garnish. We find that patients’ tastes and appetites are often affected by their illnesses, and being able to offer nutritional and appealing food is an important aspect of the overall care we provide.”
National Nutrition and Hydration Awareness Week
The latest Meet and Eat lunch, held on Tuesday this week, was planned to coincide with National Nutrition and Hydration Awareness Week, which runs from 17 – 23 March.
The awareness week aims to create a global movement that will reinforce and focus energy, activity and engagement on nutrition and hydration as an important part of quality care in health and social care settings.
Earlier in March, ehospice reported on a survey launched by the University of Surrey to look at methods to minimise food-related discomfort in patients with life-limiting illnesses.
Dr Eleni Tsiompanou, MSc Nutritional Medicine Associate Specialist in Palliative Medicine at Princess Alice Hospice and part of the University of Surrey research team, said: “Hospice patients often have symptoms aggravated by the wrong type of diet. Food has important psychological, social, cultural and even spiritual significance for patients and their carers.”
Although Meet and Eat is open the entire community, the hospice hopes to engage elderly and isolated people, offering them a place to eat a hot meal and to socialise with others who live in the same area.
“There is no need to have a connection to the hospice or be referred,” said Penny Lines, Head of Communications at the East Cheshire Hospice. “We hope that Meet and Eat continues to grow as part of our wider community involvement.”
For more information and to book a place at a future Meet and Eat, contact the hospice on: 01625 610364.
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