Eating is one of the most basic things we do as humans. When we no longer have the ability to eat the way we normally do, this can be traumatic and demoralizing. It's at this point where physical health can affect mental health.

Aside from amazing physicians and therapists who are dedicated to helping patients maintain a positive quality of life, there are other ways to help patients dine with dignity. Learning how to eat again, what patients eat, and the utensils they use are all part of the equation.

Here's how dinnerware can help patients dine with dignity:

SANITATION

The job of all hospital dinnerware is to deliver safe food to patients. When the glaze on top of a plate or in a bowl is low quality, it can degrade. When the glaze degrades, the porcelain underneath is exposed to food and can absorb it meal after meal. Even basic plate stacking can cause this degradation, and it can lead to unsanitary dinnerware at best.

SAFETY

Just as important is safety. High-quality, well-designed dinnerware for hospitals and healthcare facilities will have details that take patient safety into account. If you're a patient about to drink your first cup of hot coffee in three weeks, a coffee mug with added porcelain on the handle will decrease the chances you'll burn yourself. Likewise, a no-swashing bowl with strategically designed lips will help prevent spilling hot soup during consumption.

ACCESSIBILITY

At the end of the day, dinnerware, flatware, and glassware should make it easier for patients to eat by making food and beverage more accessible. Cutlery can be shorter to fit on standard hospital trays. Bowls can have steeper walls to assist in getting food onto a fork or spoon. And for nurses and hospital staff, convenient stackability can make service easier and help maintain the condition of the dinnerware.

VISIBILITY

The last way dinnerware can help patients dine with dignity is by making food and beverage more visible. In many cases, patients may not enjoy full sensory capabilities, so making food as easy to find as possible lessens frustration and enhances the dining experience. Specifically designed décor is important here. From coffee mugs with brightly colored handles to dinnerware, Bauscher's Carat collection for healthcare has a triple pattern designed to guide patients to the meat, starch, and vegetable on each plate.

Learn more about the importance of dinnerware in hospitals and healthcare facilities, and discover collections designed specifically for patients and staff.