T: 0114 230 2140

Therapeutic Support At Mealtimes

The follow section outlines some things to be aware of when in the dining room, these have been put in place to help support your recovery. If you have any concerns around these or are unsure why these may be in place, please speak to a member of the nursing team.
Dining Room Etiquette

Please be on time for meals and snacks
Please leave a seat at each table for a member for staff
Please don’t bring books, phones, magazines, or anything that might distract you whilst at the table
Allow staff to encourage you to reduce your anxiety relieving behaviours, we understand this might be difficult
Please try to sit with different people from time to time to experience eating in different situations. From time to time staff will put a seating plan in place to encourage patients to eat with different people and move around the room.
Please try to challenge any anxiety relieving behaviours you may have the urge to use. Some examples of these are below.

Anxiety Reducing Behaviours
Scraping butter/spread from toast/bread
Tearing food into small pieces
Hiding food
Eating food in sections
Excessive use of sauce/condiments
Having very small mouthfuls/picking at the meal
Leaving parts of the meal
Eating slowly
Focusing on other patients’ food/meal
Excessive talk around food or diet

Other things to consider whilst in the dining room…

We ask that patients avoid having tissues or serviettes at the table
Patients are asked not to wear dressing gowns or pyjamas for breakfast throughout the week; this is allowed at the weekends
Drinks at meal times are limited to one or two glasses
Meals will not be changed if not part of the care plan or on a dislike list
Hot food which has gone cold won’t be reheated

Patients are asked not to bring blankets into the dining room

See our latest CQC inspection report

Read some of our patient's stories here