NEW equipment is being brought into Great Western Hospital to help vulnerable patients.
The pictorial menus, designed with images of foods and animals, will help patients with dementia and other cognitive impairments as it helps boost recognition. The aim is to encourage patients to eat and drink properly.
Around 35 per cent of elderly patients admitted to hospital are at risk of malnutrition because of difficulty with eating and drinking.
Malnutrition can cause a cycle of infection, increased length of stay, falls and discharge to higher levels of care facilities or readmissions.
Names and images stimulates both the visual and language areas of the brain, increasing the chance of accurate memory recall.
The menus were funded after £7,000 was raised through donations to Brighter Futures.
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