Nutritional Care PlanProject tasks to be completed during Weeks 510 (due during Week 10).
Task:
a. Create a nutritional care plan for your client. This will include an
evaluation of nutritional risk a list of interventions and a list of expected
outcomes.
b. List the goals of medical nutrition therapy for your patient and suggest an
appropriate diet. Does your patient/client require a dietary modification of
their regular diet Are enteral feedings by tube necessary If so what
formula will you use and why Describe your recommended method of
administration.
c. Describe your nutrition education teaching session with your patient
and/or their family. What teaching methods will you use (explanation
discussion demonstration handouts etc.) In your own words write a
paragraph detailing three specific points that you will need to teach your
patient about his/her new diet. In addition give at least one tip to avoid
potential herb/nutrient/drug interactionsNutritional Care Plan for an Elderly
Task 1:
My nutritional care plan is for an elderly male. Eating well is of paramount importance for anyone irrespective of age. The elderly encounter health issues in most cases due to financial hardship or due to other physical limitations. The implication of this is that they fail to get the nutrients that constitute a balanced diet leading to malnutrition. Malnutrition then cause symptoms such as appetite loss lethargy weight loss lightheadedness and weight loss. These symptoms may at times be too severe hence the possibility of being confused for an ailment or a disease. Some of the most common reasons as why an elderly person may skip a meal include factors such as dental problems forgetfulness financial burden loneliness as well as depression. According to Bohannon (1999) the major nutrition issues among the elderly arise because of:
Medication side effects-some medication causes nausea appetite loss as well as causing a different taste on food.
Sensitivity decrease -aging itself is a barrier to nutrition since it causes appetite loss
Financial burden-lack of finances to purchase food may lead to buying less- nutritious food due to cost implication
Dental health-missing teeth mouth sores jaw pain as well as ill-fitting denture may result to inability to eat health food.
Transport issues -going for shopping may at time be impossible due to lack of enough stamina to move or even stand leave alone walking
Physical difficulty-poor strength and physical pain may make an elder unable to perform simple tasks such as peeling a fruit or even opening a can
forgetfulness-aging cause the memory to lapse or decline hence an elder may fail to realize the actual time to have a meal hence leading to skipping meals
Depression-as people age loneliness becomes part of their life chiefly due to factors such as failing health and failure to see their loved ones who may be far. This may lead to reduced appetite and failure of caring for one self
Task 2:
The prevalence diabetes mellitus is known to have a direct correlation with age. The type 2 diabetes mellitus is linked with age. At least one out of five people above the age of 65 is likely to suffer from this disease. Therefore the prevalence of this disease increase with age and more often than not peaks at the age 60-69 years. With the modern demographic transition as well as the aging population diabetes mellitus is predicted to be a major public health challenge in the world. Management of type 2 diabetes mellitus includes low doses of oral hypoglycemic and diet and in few cases insulin may be required. The disease is asymptomatic and regular blood glucose screening is always recommended for elderly patients. Some of the symptoms may include weight loss weakness and urinary incontinence. Weight loss may be because of poor intake of glucose or glucose loss. The disease may present itself in elderly with features such as confusion unsteadiness as well as orthostatic (Singh & Marshall 1995).
Case Study
Mr. P is a 75-year-old male who is a widower living in a nursing care home for the past three years. He has a history of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus requiring insulin and low doses of oral hypoglycemic. In the last five months Mr. T has had trouble in feeding due to loss of appetite. This has resulted to 8 kg weight loss in a duration of five months.
Anthropometric Assessment (A)
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 150 Kg
BMI: 17Kg/m2
Biochemical Assessment (B)
Albumin (Alb): 2.5 (normal 3.3-4.8 g/dl)
TLC: 1000 cells/mm3 (normal >1400 Cells/mm3)
Clinical Assessment (C)
Weight loss
Family history of Diabetes
Dietary Intake (D)
Intake for 20/08/2015 is 1550 Kcal and 45 grams protein
Breakfast food recall-1 glass of milk 1 slice of whole meal wheat toast a slice of pineappleReference
Bohannon A.D. (1999). Osteoporosis and African-American women. Journal of
Womens Health and Gender-Based Medicine.
Singh. I Marshall Jr. (1995).Diabetes mellitus in the elderly .Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am 255-272.