Supporting Healthy Nutrition for Seniors in Care Homes

Supporting Healthy Nutrition for Seniors in Care Homes

Proper nutrition is crucial for seniors in care homes to maintain strength, mobility, and quality of life. Catering staff play a central role in managing weight issues and collaborating with care teams to optimise residents’ nutritional status. These are just a few of the benefits of good nutrition in care homes. Care home catering roles ensure the highest standard of care is provided.

Preventing Undesirable Weight Loss in Seniors

Seniors often struggle with waning appetite and gradual weight loss that can progress to dangerous levels if not addressed. Here are strategies care home catering staff can employ to help maintain healthy weights.

Fortify Foods with Nourishment

Boost calories and nutrients by adding healthy fats, proteins and extras to foods. Examples: olive oil, cheese, avocado, nuts, protein powder. Fortified foods increase nutritional value.

Offer Nutrient-Dense Snacks

Provide between-meal snacks that pack a nutritional punch, like Greek yoghurt parfaits, boiled eggs, fruit and nut bars, smoothies, or whole-grain crackers with peanut butter.

Serve Smaller, More Frequent Meals

Break meals into smaller portions spread throughout the day. Mini-meals are often easier for seniors to manage and stimulate appetite better than large platters.

Prioritise Favorite Foods

Track residents’ preferred foods and aim to include these in regular rotation. Favourite comfort foods typically improve food intake.

Make Meals More Appealing

Visually appealing foods presented attractively boost interest and appetite. Cut food into bite-sized pieces and add herbs, sauces, or garnishes. Vary colours and textures.

Relax Rigid Menu Rules

Allow some flexibility in menus to accommodate residents’ cravings and aversions on a given day. Substituting disliked foods prevents uneaten meals.

Encourage Hydration

Dehydration dulls appetite. Offer beverages with each meal, like water, milk, juice, or decaf tea/coffee. Track intake for those prone to dehydration.

Avoid Medication Interference

Discuss residents on appetite-suppressing medications with care staff. Adjust timing doses before/after meals to prevent interference.

Rule Out Underlying Issues

Appetite loss can indicate an underlying problem. Alert care staff to sudden weight drops, especially if accompanied by symptoms like depression or dental pain. Investigate causes.

Weigh Residents Routinely

Weigh residents monthly to identify weight fluctuations early. Compare to ideal weight ranges for their height and notify care staff of unexplained drops.

Enabling Collaboration for Improved Nutritional Care

Communication between catering and care teams ensures issues impacting nutrition are addressed collectively.

Share Status Updates

Keep care teams informed of changes noticed during meals, like reduced appetite, chewing issues, or increased fatigue. Request they pass along relevant updates too.

Review Assessments Together

Participate in team conferences to review residents’ nutritional assessments and care plans. Provide input on dietary preferences and appetite levels.

Track Intake Patterns

Log intake at each meal and share trends with care staff. A downward pattern may warrant assessment for underlying problems like illness or depression and is important to monitor and record changes. Care home catering means all areas of the catering aspect; from cooking to meals to serving and supporting residents.

Discuss Supplement Needs

Review if nutrient-rich oral supplements could help specific residents obtain adequate calories and micronutrients. Choose palatable supplements.

Coordinate Assistance

Collaborate on plans for assisted feeding. Define roles in assisting residents with limited mobility at mealtimes. Care home catering is more than just providing meals for residents, it is creating a comforting and safe environment for residents.

Jointly Set Nutrition Goals

Agree on realistic nutrition-related goals for residents, like ideal diet textures, target weights, hydration goals etc. and tactics to achieve these.

Arrange Dietitian Input

Suggest specialised dietitian referrals for residents with greater nutritional risks. Implement recommended plans collaboratively.

Problem Solve Together

Brainstorm creative solutions for challenges like unpalatable therapeutic diets, food refusal or unmanageable behaviours during meals.

By working hand in hand with care teams, catering has a greater impact on enhancing seniors’ nutritional status and enjoyment of dining. Are you looking for a new role in healthcare catering? Reach out to our team.