“Nutrition Matters” News

Nutrition Matters Newsletter November 2018
Each person experiences dementia differently and there is no one approach that works for everyone or even per occasion. Residents can experience a loss of connection with recognising food, with how to eat, declining swallowing abilities, taste changes, stress and unsettled behavior, impacting on their nutrition and quality of life.
We all recognise that there are constraints within homes, however there is always more that could be done to provide individualized and person-centred mealtimes for those with dementia. Read more »

Nutrition Matters Newsletter October 2018
With all the media attention and discussion in the aged care industry, we are all aware that improving the look of texture modified meals can go a long way. It can encourage residents to eat more, provide meal enjoyment and dignity and thereby providing benefit from the nutrition it provides. This is where the use of food molds can come in.
Aged care homes have the option of purchasing pre-molded texture modified meals or making it themselves. Read more »

Traditionally, aged care providers have focused on providing quality of care to their residents. The introduction of the Single Quality Framework Draft Aged Care Quality Standards highlights the need to move to a more consumer-directed approach. This means handing back control over everyday decisions to our residents.
How can we continue to modify our current practise to more strongly embrace our residents’ dignity and choices relating to what, where and when they would like to eat? Read more »

There is some evidence to say that older people need 2 – 3 times more salt to even detect it in a tomato soup. Usually, the taste of saltiness and sweetness are first lost, followed by the taste of bitterness and sourness. Several other factors also lead to the decline in taste, such as smoking, poor oral hygiene, dentures and medications. In addition, the decline in saliva production and dehydration that causes dry mouth also affects the sense of taste. Read more »

Aged care residents are often at risk to a range of illnesses and therefore generally have higher nutritional requirements than the younger adult. Despite popular belief, malnutrition is not a normal part of ageing and can lead to reduced quality of life by increasing chance of infection, falls, fractures, pressure injuries and admission to hospital.
There are many different nutrition approaches to preventing malnutrition in our residents. However, a Food First Approach is the gold standard. Read more »

Gastro – it’s the one word no aged care worker wants to hear. But unfortunately from time to time gastro outbreaks become a reality. When homes have ‘gastro’ outbreaks there tends to be a lot of focus on infection control and reporting. Looking at food and fluids can also assist in settling gastro symptoms.
There are a lot of myths that report that some remedies or foods can ‘settle the stomach’. Let’s look at the evidence and what practice tell us. Read more »