Hospitable Meals in Hospitals: Co-creating a passion for food with patients (original) (raw)

Moments of hospitality: Rethinking hospital meals through a non-representational approach

Hospitality & Society, 2014

Hospital meals have increasingly become part of the political and scientific agenda of the welfare discussions in Denmark and other European countries. This article employs non-representational theory to analyse hospitalityscapes in order to explore opportunities for adding value to the hospital meal experience. By drawing on research carried out in two Danish hospital wards, this article explores how hospitalityscapes are socio-materially constructed. The research strategy was based on performative participant observations, visual ethnography and semi-structured interviews. The empirical data reveal how the daily atmosphere could be changed by social activities such as a dancing nurse, or through artefacts such as meatballs or napkins in disruptive micro-events, creating a possibility for different hospitalityscapes manifested in cultural, humorous or social performances. The article suggests that a focus on disruptive micro-events might create opportunities for hospitalityscapes a...

Hospitality on a platter, in retrospect (Conference Review)

Wee, D. (2014) Hospitality on a platter, in retrospect. Hospitality & Society, 4(1) pp. 93-98. , 2014

Hospitality on a platter, in retrospect Food, Drink and Hospitality: Space, Materiality, Practice Conference, London, 14 June 2013

‘After mealtime is before mealtime’ – An ethnographic exploration of nursing home residents' practices of dealing with meal requirements

Background: In nursing homes, food is part of the care provided to residents, causing it to be strictly organised within the institutional framework. Moreover, once food has been integrated into the institutional logic, structural and economic aspects regarding organisation of food and eating may dictates individual and social needs, as a theoretical perspective informed by Goffman's notion of the 'total social institution' suggests. This paper describes nursing home residents' practices of dealing with meal requirements in two Austrian nursing homes, to understand how food integrates into the daily routine and how the institutional setting influences the social and material arrangement of food. Methods: An ethnographic design was chosen to gain an in-depth understanding. Two urban nursing homes were studied over 21 months (approx. 800 hours of participant observation and ethnographic interviews collected). Data analysis took place iteratively, following Grounded The...

Getting a Taste for Food Waste: A mixed methods, ethnographic study into hospital food waste prior to patient consumption conducted at three New Zealand food service facilities

Foodservice organizations, particularly those in hospitals, are large producers of food waste. To date, research on waste in hospitals has focused primarily on plate waste and the affect of food waste on patient nutrition outcomes. Less focus has been placed on waste generation at the kitchen end of the hospital food system. We used a novel approach to understand reasons for hospital food waste before consumption and offer recommendations on waste minimization within foodservices. A mixed methods ethnographic research approach was adopted. Three New Zealand hospital foodservices were selected as research sites, all of which were contracted to an external foodservice provider. Data collection techniques included document analyses, observations, focus groups with kitchen staff, and one-on-one interviews with managers. Thematic analysis was conducted to generate common themes. Most food waste occurred during service and as a result of overproduction. Attitudes and habits of foodservice personnel were considered influential factors of waste generation. Implications of food waste were perceived differently by different levels of staff. Whereas managers raised discussion from a financial perspective, kitchen staff drew upon social implications. Organizational plans, controls, and use of pre-prepared ingredients assisted in waste minimization. An array of factors influenced waste generation in hospital foodservices. Exploring attitudes and practices of foodservice personnel allowed an understanding of reasons behind hospital food waste and ways in which it could be minimized. This study provides a foundation for further research on sustainable behavior within the wider foodservice sector and dietetics practice.