How does knowing the story of the patient help improve overall nutrition?

The need to improve the nutrition of the elderly living in residential long term care is well recognized. This assignment involves a research review, formulation of questions for your observation of elderly meal times and a final response.

A. Watch video A holistic approach, when working with people with dementia, leads to an improved quality of life. Eating and Drinking well: supporting people living with dementia (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

1. Questions: Food and Drink availability concerns – Food is associated with many activities and events. To improve good nutrition:
   • What was done to help make nutritious foods available to the patient?
   • How is the possibility of dehydration addressed? What is the fluid volume recommended?
   • What are special tools suggested to improve eating?
   • Preferences may change with age. What is done to help improve eating?
   • How does the environment affect eating?
2. Questions: Food and Drink through activity (min 11:30 – 12:00, 14:36)

•  How does knowing the story of the patient help improve overall nutrition?

1. Questions: Communication and relationships (min 20:47 – end)

•  How does good communication with staff improve nutrition?

B. Reading: “Best Practices for Nutrition, Food Service and Dining in Long Term Care Homes.” (http://www.dietitians.ca/Downloads/Public/2013-Best-Practices-for-Nutrition,-Food-Service-an.aspx (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.)

1. What would you do to ensure texture changes are adequate for dysphagia?
2. How would you reduce polypharmacy regarding laxative use?
3. How would you induce a positive dining experience?
4. What are some tips you would enact to train your servers?

C. Reading: “Effectiveness of mealtime interventions on nutritional outcomes for the elderly living in residential care: A systematic review and meta-analysis“, R. A. Abbott

• Write five observation questions you would focus on based on the reading. Some suggestions are ‘mode of food presentation’ and ‘dining environment.’ Collaborate with the your group to finalize observation questions.

Observation: You have two choices. Either visit on-site: Extra credit point for observing at Woodland Country Manor, Sommerville Road (Breakfast 7 am, lunch 11:30 am, dinner 4:30 pm) OR find one additional video showing elderly eating at meals.

Final Response requirements. 

1. What are some of the most important steps needed to improve and/or maintain good nutrition?
2. What assessments/interventions would be important to conduct?
3. What  did you observe either in person or from the additional video? (Summarize your observations and reference the video.)
4. How did your observations compare with the information you gathered in the literature?