Nursing Homes And Nutrition
Each Resident has a diet that is set just for their nutritional needs. It ranges from a regular diet to a thickened liquid diet. We have a renal diet for our dialysis residents. Renal diets consist of limiting fluid intake, making sure breakfast is served at a particular time, avoiding foods high in acid, such as tomato products and citrus products, and restrict the amount of high potassium foods in their diet. Other diets have that restrictions, like nectar and honey consistency liquids for those to the residents that aspirate thin liquids. We have also had residents who have had a gluten allergy, which we provided with gluten-free food.
For the residents with skin breakdown, weight loss, and or insufficient food intake, we refer them to the dietitian and supplement their diet with additional calories and protein as needed/determined. These supplements help replenish some of the calories and nutrients that they have lost. We monitor their weight loss from week to week to make sure we catch every weight loss and gain.
We have a Restorative Dining program for residents who eat independently and still need assistance or supervision. It helps our residents have a restaurant experience while socializing with other residents and meeting their individual needs. We also give our nourishment snacks at 3 different times during the day. This helps our diabetic residents maintain a steady glucose and A1C level. It also gives our residents some of their favorite snacks while waiting for their next mealtimes or a great late-night snack. Some of the snacks given out are milks, juice, health shakes, Ensure clear, crackers, yogurts, cookies, chips, cheese or peanut butter crackers, ice cream, and sandwiches.
- American Dietetic Association: www.eatright.org
- Nutrition and Aging www.nutritionandaging.com
- National Council on Aging www.ncoa.org
- My Plate for Older Adults www.hnrca.tufts.edu/myplate
- The Geriatric Dietitian www.thegeriatricdietitian.com
For more information on our dietary plans, or to inquire about a specific dietary need, please contact us!