Proper Nutrition Required for the Elderly
By Maureen Kroll, RN, MN, JD
Nutritional well-being is an important part of
remaining healthy as one ages. Improper nutrition can result in a
variety of diseases, and can lead to weakened muscles that result in
falls, hip fractures, pressure ulcers, and forms of infection.
When a resident is in a nursing home, he or she can be susceptible to
the problems of malnutrition. Congress has recognized the importance of
proper nutrition for the elderly, and there is a provision in the
Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 that requires nursing homes to have a
policy that directs the staff to assess residents for nutritional
status.
They must do this at the time of admission to a nursing home, and every
three months thereafter.
Even though the Act has been created to enforce this provision, the
nursing homes may take definite measures to ensure that their residents
receive proper nutrition. It is still estimated that a large percentage
of nursing home residents may be malnourished.
Certainly, many are related to just the type of illnesses that a
resident may have. Also, they may have a negative interaction between
the drugs they are taking and the food they eat. They may also have some
adverse drug effects that could impact their ability to eat properly,
such as nausea, vomiting, indigestion, etc.
If a nursing home resident is depressed, that can also lead to a lack of
interest in proper nutrition, and swelling disorders, problems with
dentures, and tremors can be significant factors in one’s ability to eat
properly.
In addition, the food may not be what the resident is used to. Cultural
differences in the types of food that residents receive sometimes mean
that food residents have been exposed to all their lives may not be part
of the nursing home menu.
Low fat, low salt, or some other sort of restrictive diet may cause the
food to taste differently than home cooked meals they are used to, and
may lead to a lack of interest in the type of food they are receiving.
When you visit a loved one in a nursing home, to assess if they may be
experiencing malnutrition, observe the following: have their clothes
been fitting more loosely? Are their lips cracked? What is the coloring
of their skin? Do they have cracks around their mouths? What is the
condition of a person’s gums and teeth? Do they have sores in their
mouths? Does their skin appear to be taut and shiny, or loose with the
loss of elasticity? Does the skin appear drier than usual? Does it
appear that the person’s eyes are sunken in?
If you have assessed one of more of these signs, you should get involved
with the nursing home by talking to the person who is in charge, such as
the dietician or whomever deals with the nutritional status of the
residents.
Secondly, you should ask for a care planning conference right away to
discuss your concerns about appearance or loss of appetite. Continue to
monitor the situation so that you can continue to make an assessment of
that person’s progress regarding improvements in their nutritional
status.
Finally, if you have tried to get help for your loved one and no one is
responding to you in the facility and problems continue to exist,
contact the local office on aging for the name and number of the Long
Term Care Ombudsman Program nearest you. These ombudsmen are empowered
by law to serve as advocates for nursing home residents, and can assist
you with any complaints or problems.
Service Area
Attorney Maureen Kroll provides services in Westmoreland County, PA, including the communities of Greensburg, Irwin, Jeannette, Ligonier, Mt. Pleasant, North Huntingdon, Latrobe, and Scottdale.
