Nutritional Care Plans

Introduction

It is estimated that 50% of nursing home residents are malnourished. Weight loss in the elderly correlates strongly with morbidity and mortality rates. Meeting the nutritional needs of the elderly is challenging. The desire to eat and drink decreases with age, and the elderly person gets full quickly. The senses of taste and smell decline, as well as the ability to synthesize protein. Exacerbating the metabolic differences of the aged are multiple conditions such as dementia, depression, polypharmacy, chronic illness, and loss of mobility. Nutritional care-planning for the long term care resident requires participation of the Dietary department, the MDS Coordinator, and the entire health care team.

This manual gives information and tools to improve assessment and interventions for meeting nutritional needs. There are sections on Nutritional Status, Dehydration/Fluid Maintenance, Feeding Tubes, and Dental Care. Regulations, survey protocols, and RAP modules give the basis of industry standards and quality of care. Care plans are provided for every possible problem generated from the MDS assessment entries. Assessment forms and Quality Assurance audits are included.

The CD-ROM contains all of the forms and care plans in the book, and these can be made resident and facility specific using a word processor.