A Healthy Cooking Skills Session for Recovering Alcohol and Drug Patients: Does

it work?

Joint Community Care Nutrition Services and Withdrawal Service Quality Improvement Project

March 2011 to June 2014

This presentation will cover:

What were the stages of the project? What were project’s aims? Have we achieved what we set out to do? Unexpected outcomes and lessons learnt Where to now?

What were the stages of the project?

Why was working with AOD and MH clients a team priority?

The Nutrition team had just received funding as part of the Healthy Communities Initiative.

Alcohol and other Drug (AOD) clients have a poorer nutritional status than the general population1.

Many AOD clients have a mental illness. People with a mental illness are dying up to 32 years earlier than the rest of the population due to preventable physical health and lifestyle related issues2.

The nutrition team does not have the capacity to provide weekly nutrition education sessions to Withdrawal Service patients.

1. Neale et al., 20112. National Mental Health Commission, 2012.

What were the project’s aims? To develop, deliver and evaluate an evidence

based nutrition training program for Withdrawal Service Nursing Staff.

To develop interactive Nutrition Education and Healthy Cooking Sessions for staff to deliver to Withdrawal Service Patients.

To train Nursing Staff to deliver the Nutrition Education Sessions.

To evaluate the effectiveness of Nutrition Education Sessions.

What is a nutrition and healthy cooking session?

What is a nutrition and healthy cooking session?

Have we achieved what we set out to do?

Withdrawal Service Nurses received regular training by a dietitian on: Nutritional needs of their AOD patients Conducting nutrition education sessions in the form

of Healthy Cooking Sessions.

Withdrawal Service Nurses were supported with: A facilitator’s manual for Conducting Healthy Cooking

Sessions Co-facilitating some sessions Data entry and analysis of patient surveys for

evaluation of the Healthy Cooking Sessions

Evaluation of Healthy Cooking Sessions

299 patients attended healthy cooking sessions between August 2012 and February 2014

60% male; 40% female. Low fruit intake: 0.9 serves per day

(1.8 serves for ACT population1) Low vegetable intake: 1.9 serves per day

(2.6 serves per day for ACT population1)

1ACT Health, Chief Health Officer’s Report 2012, ACT Government, Canberra.

Evaluation of Healthy Cooking Sessions (continued)

Evaluation of Healthy Cooking Sessions (continued)

Confidence levels for preparing and cooking new foods were unchanged in people with low confidence levels prior to the session.

74% of participants intended to use the information provided positively in their everyday life.

“Eat more fruit and vege”“I can cook fried rice now.”“I will have less soft drink.”

“To help myself and my family to eat healthier meals.”“Better shopping, recipes, more home cooking.”

Unexpected outcomes and lessons learnt

Favourable mention during accreditation in 2012 as an example of two services working well together

Allied Health Grant to analyse data and complete extra components of the project Presentation for CHARM Poster presentation for the Dietitians Association of Australia

Conference The Nutrition team has recently delivered 5 nutrition in-services to

Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Service teams Clear aims and objectives from the start

Where to now? Withdrawal Service Nutrition Education and Healthy

Cooking Sessions have been continuing without CCP support since 30th June 2014.

Patients continue to receive a Nutrition Information Package which includes recipes and resources to use at home.

Patients are informed about organisations such as the Australian Red Cross, Karralika and The Rainbow who run regular healthy eating education programs for people with substance use issues and mental illness in the community.

The Withdrawal Service is considering a 6 month follow up with patients to look at longer term project outcomes.

Acknowledgements Withdrawal Service Patients Jo Taylor and her Withdrawal Service Nursing Team Funding from the Healthy Communities Initiative Inner

North Canberra This is a joint Australian and Territory Government initiative

under the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health.

Allied Health Advisor’s Office in ACT Health for an Allied Health Research Support Grant