Prevent malnutrition with creative dietary ideas

A hot topic brought to you by SpecialtyRx, your partner in long-term care

Keeping residents healthy post-pandemic is posing new challenges. Depression, isolation, loss of taste and smell and other factors can cause residents to stop drinking and eating which may lead to dehydration and malnutrition. Getting creative in the kitchen can help. Foods like ice cream and refrigerated pudding can help residents who’ve lost their sense of taste and smell want to eat. The cold temperature, texture and sweetness, which don’t appear to be affected by COVID-19, are appealing when other foods aren’t.

Enlisting the help of everyone on staff in the feeding of residents can also be helpful. If residents are encouraged to eat, they are more likely to do so and utilizing assistive devices for those who have difficulty eating on their own is also useful. Remind staff to encourage residents to drink and to alert medical staff if they see someone not eating or drinking enough.

Prepared foods should be well seasoned and offer snacks and sweets in moderation if residents want them. Have movie nights and serve popcorn or other typical movie snacks, create themed meals, ask family members who are able to visit to bring their favorite foods.

The important thing is to monitor residents to make sure they are getting enough nutrition to stay healthy and while a diet of junk food is not recommended, a snack here and there can be useful in getting residents to consume enough calories.

As always, SpecialtyRx is here to help with all your pharmaceutical needs.