Perspectives: Siobhan Butler - Registered Nurse
Perspectives: Siobhan Butler - Registered Nurse
In our perspectives series we hear from other people and their experiences of the blended diet. Everybody has a followed a different path, by sharing their unique story we all gain a new perspective and probably learn a few things along the way. We are all part of an incredible community of which we are very proud to be part of and we always love hearing from others, and we hope you do too.
My professional experience of the blended diet as a Registered Childrens Nurse
I reflect on the opportunity to support a young person on a visit to a farm. This day trip required us to take a blended diet for the young person. A single portion of blend was prepared in the morning, refrigerated once made and transferred into a cool bag with an ice pack just before leaving, just as you would a packed lunch (standard food hygiene measures applied). This storage ensures that the blend is kept cool and is suitable for use. A pre-made blend such as a pouch would be a convenient alternative, often these are shelf-stable and do not require special storage until open. The blend was administered at lunch time as per the young person’s routine.
Equipment such as 60ml syringes, cool boiled water (made within 24 hours), personal protective equipment and hand sanitiser should be taken on outings. It is important to apply good hand hygiene practices of washing your hands with warm water and soap or using a hand sanitiser if they are not visibly dirty before administering the blended diet.
My professional experience of using a blender to create a blended diet for administration via a gastrostomy device
Registered Children’s Nurse|April,2023.
Within my clinical practice I have experienced using the Vitamix blender to create a blended diet for administration via a gastrostomy device. The jug is a reasonable size which is convenient for batch making of blends. I have observed the use of a quiet blender which has benefited those individuals who are sensitive to noise. I have seen the NutriBullet blender be used to create a successful blended diet, however, acknowledge that the jug is smaller than the Vitamix jug. I would aim to blend the food for 3-6 minutes, until it is a smooth single cream consistency. The need to sieve post blending will depend on which foods were put into the blender, some foods blend easier than others and it is important to ensure the mixture is smooth. This will help prevent the gastrostomy device from becoming blocked.
Guidance from your allocated healthcare professionals should be adhered to.