Dan’s reasons for not eating healthily are a complex mix: depression, loneliness, lack of self-esteem, poor environment, not much money, lack of education, no chance to store or cook food. What he seems to need is treatment for his depression, treatment for his leg, a place to live and a better job – but life is not simple, and change is not easy or quick.

Motivation to change cannot, of course, be isolated from his circumstances, but anything you can do to help him see his worth will begin the improvement. Gaining, somehow, a support network, a few skills and pride might be the aim of a project for all the residents of the hostel. Knowledge and understanding of healthy eating is perhaps surprisingly, the least of your shorter term aims. Setting up a self-help group, enabling life and job skills development may be a more powerful and empowering start.

Continuing to longer term aims, persuading Dan to undertake a back-work-course, or a computer course may help. He does not need a cookery course, as some people may think, he has no resources for this, and it will probably try to teach him inappropriately for his lifestyle. What about working with the hostel warden to provide individual food storage lockers first?

Wider still, you would wish to work at borough level or mental health service level to improve the lives of people in Dan’s situation. Making appropriate jobs available for people recovering from depression, improving knowledge and access to financial benefits, working with local shops and cafes on cheaper, healthy food provision are all suggestions for the interagency work a nurse could be involved in.