Save on dietetic supplements with this simple process!
Overheard in a facility’s nurses station last week:
PERSONAL CARER: “Mrs. X has lost 1.5kg this month”
REGISTERED NURSE: “Really? We’d better start her on (supplement name here) TDS”
At a cost of $1.40 per serve (in powder form) this could mean an unnecessary cost of $130 per month!
A weight fluctuation of up to 2.5 kilograms over the course of a day is completely normal. Weight can be temporarily affected by things like:
- Variances in hydration throughout the day
- The status of the residents digestive processes
- Medical issues
- Even when weighed fully clothed on all occasions, variations in clothing weight can also lead to a 1kg difference
RECOMMENDATION NUMBER ONE: A weighing protocol should be established that everyone is aware of that includes:
- Consistent time of day (e.g. always in the morning after toileting but before breakfast)
- The same set of scales (preferably digital)
- Unclothed or with the same clothing on
RECOMMENDATION NUMBER TWO: Accurate baseline measures should be established upon admission/as soon as possible first taking into consideration what the resident’s recommended weight is. This needs to take into consideration such factors as the resident’s height, weight, body type, level of activity and any medical issues.
Dietetics referral is recommended for all new residents to establish this baseline measure.
RECOMMENDATION NUMBER THREE: Ongoing monitoring of the resident’s weight and nutritional status, with established protocols for first-line-of-defence measures, subsequent indications for provision of supplements, and indications for dietetics referral.
Facilities that have a dietitian visiting regularly often experience a reduction in supplement use of between 50%-75%.
W&L understands that nutrition and dietary intervention play a significant role in improving residents’ health and outcomes. Excel in Standard 2.10 (Nutrition and Hydration): we can help you to regularly evaluate and review the management of nutrition and hydration to determine effectiveness in meeting the needs of resident.
