Mealtime Communication
Lesson 3 of 12 in Senior Care Communication · 25 minutes
Follow a PSW as she assists a resident at lunch — checking the diet card first, kindly explaining thickened fluids and a minced diet when the resident asks for a normal cup of tea, offering real choices, watching for swallowing warning signs, and recording intake after the meal.
What you'll learn
- Communicate effectively during mealtimes with elderly residents
- Understand dietary needs, choking risks, and fluid intake tracking
- Use proper vocabulary when assisting with meals
From the transcript
It is noon in the dining room of a long-term care home. Amal, a PSW, is assisting Mrs. O'Brien, an 84-year-old resident who needs feeding assistance since her stroke last year. Mrs. O'Brien has trouble swallowing, so her care plan says minced texture food and honey-thick fluids. Today she wants something the care plan does not allow: a normal cup of tea. Listen to how Amal checks the diet card before serving, explains the rules with kindness, offers real choices, watches for warning signs, and reports the meal to the nurse afterward.
Amal: Good afternoon, Mrs. O'Brien! Lunch is here. Before I serve you, let me check your card first.
Mrs. O'Brien: Oh, that card again. It's only lunch, dear.
Amal…