The Nutrition Department provides acute, subacute and outpatient services across all Western Health campuses. Dietitians assess the nutrition of patients. They provide nutrition support and education based on current evidence based practice.
Services Offered
Acute
Dietitians provide nutrition services across all clinical areas in the acute setting. This includes assessment, dietary counselling, oral nutritional supplementation, enteral nutrition (tube feeding) and parentral nutrition (through the blood stream). Specialist areas include:
Sub-Acute
Dietitians work in Rehabilitation, Secure GEM, palliative care, Geriatric Evaluation & Management and Transition Care. Diet is a key factor in helping patients maintain function or return to their previous level of function. Key areas of nutritional input include malnutrition management, wound healing and diabetes management.
Outpatients
Dietitians participate in both medical and nutrition outpatient clinics across each campus. Referral and consultation may occur directly in medical clinics attended by a dietitian, for example Diabetes, Nephrology, Inflammatory Bowel Clinic, Insulin Pump Clinic, Chronic Wound Service, Obesity Clinic and Women's and Children's. A limited service is available for people needing follow up after a hospital stay for general nutrition information at Williamstown Hospital (no referrals are accepted from outside the hospital).
Women's & Children's
Dietitians are available to provide support on all aspects of infant and child nutrition in the hospital and at home. Dietitians work with the family to provide education on nutritional needs for the home and any changes that may be needed for special diets. Dietitians also provide group education sessions on gestational diabetes (after pregnancy).
