Food Service Provisions for the Cancer Patient

Abstract

The nutritional difficulties experienced by patients with cancer are all too often not addressed by the person responsible for the food service provision in hospital, namely the catering manager. My personal view, as one responsible for the overall food service in the hospital where I work, is that any patients who are experiencing difficulties in eating should have what they want, when they want it. If someone wants, for example, an avocado with prawns because they just fancy it, provision should be made for this. By giving someone what they want, they are more likely to accept what they need nutritionally If nutritional status is low, treatment acceptance and patient morale can also be low.