Eating & Drinking Support
Help at mealtimes, and company while you eat.
At Debbie Anne, our Eating & Drinking support service ensures that mealtimes are a safe, calm, and dignified experience for people in need. We provide personalized assistance tailored to individual needs, fostering an environment that promotes nutritional well-being and enhances overall quality of life. Trust us to deliver compassionate care that respects the dignity of every individual.
What’s included
- Sitting down and eating together, so nobody has a meal alone with somebody watching
- Cutting up, opening packets and lids, and whatever else the hands will not manage today
- A steadying hand, in the amount that is actually wanted and not one bit more
- Keeping the food warm and the pace slow, with no hurrying and no hovering
- Drinks within reach and topped up all through the visit
- Smaller portions offered more often when a full plate is off-putting
- Spills dealt with quietly: a wipe, a clean top, nothing made of it
- An honest word with the family when somebody is eating or drinking less than before
Who it’s for
- People who have gone off their food, or lost weight nobody meant them to lose
- Anyone whose hands are no longer steady enough to enjoy a meal in company
- Someone with dementia who starts a meal and forgets to finish it
- People who barely drink through the day because getting to the kitchen is an effort
- Families who keep finding full plates scraped into the bin
- Anybody eating alone who would simply rather have somebody sat opposite
Areas covered
- Wolverhampton
- Bushbury
- Low Hill
- Fordhouses
- Oxley
- Fallings Park
- Tettenhall
- Perton
- Pendeford
- and the surrounding areas
Questions people ask
- There is weight coming off and nobody can work out why.
- Get it looked at by the GP, because there are plenty of reasons and some of them need treating. In the meantime we can be at the meals, see for ourselves what is and is not being eaten, and tell you what we notice. Very often it turns out to be something ordinary: a plate too big, teeth that hurt, or nobody there to make it worth cooking.
- Can you help if swallowing has become a problem?
- That needs a professional’s say-so first, usually a speech and language therapist through the GP. Once they have set out how meals and drinks should be given, we follow that to the letter at every visit. What we will not do is make those decisions ourselves or change them because something seemed easier on the day.
- Can the same visit cover making the meal as well?
- Yes, and it usually does. Cooking it and then sitting down to it together is one visit, not two. Have a look at Cooking and Meal Prep for what the cooking side involves.
Not sure yet? These might help
- How do I know when someone needs help at home?
The changes families usually notice first, what each one tends to mean, and the smallest thing you can do about it.
How it works
Have a chat
Give us a ring or send us a message and tell us what you’re finding difficult. There’s no obligation, and nothing to sign. If it’s urgent, say so: we can sometimes start straight away.
Your first visit is free
We come out to you at home, meet you properly, and write down together exactly what help you want and when. There’s no charge for that visit whether or not you go ahead.
Your assistant starts
Your assistant starts visiting on the days and times we’ve agreed together, and we stay in touch to make sure it’s working for you.
