A passionate nurse at our hospital has brought up the idea of having volunteers feed patients during meal times. I was reviewing past forum discussions on this topic and noticed there are a few hospitals that do this. My thought has been that this shouldn't be a volunteer role because it is, in a sense, providing patient care, and it seems to bring on the extra risk/liability of choking. I'm interested to hear others' thoughts on this - Do you have feeding volunteers? If so, how do you feel about the risk/liability? If not, what are your reasons for steering clear of having volunteers do this? 
Thank you!

Despite semi-regular requests, we have not been able to do this as we've been told it is considered patient care, carries too much risk/liability, and is a union roll. We do have volunteers who support during mealtime by opening lids, moving trays closer, and providing a bit of company, but they are not allowed to feed.