Infections, Nutrition and Food Safety

Nutrition and Hydration

Role of Importance of Nutrition

Good nutrition is important in the care of ill and frail persons. It speeds up healing, recovery from illness, and helps maintain health of the individual.

If you have good eating habits and are well nourished, you will have all the nutrients you need for energy and good health. The eating habits of a lifetime can have a great effect on an older person.

Many health problems common among older people are related to lifelong diet patterns. These include heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis (thinning bones), atherosclerosis (fatty deposits in blood vessels), and digestive problems.

Figure 1. Vegetables are important for good nutrition

Essential Nutrients

Click on the tabs below to read about the functions or the essential nutrients and where they can be obtained from:

Carbohydrates

Food Sources:

Bread, cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes, corn, fruits

Body Uses Them For:

Obtaining energy throughout the day.

Protein

Food Sources:

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, milk, peas, nuts

Body Uses Them For:

Growth and strength, cell repair, builds bones and body tissue

Figure 3. Eggs are a good source of protein

Fats

Food Sources:

Butter, margarine, oil, ice cream, dressings, meats, nuts, mayonnaise

Body Uses Them For:

Energy, protection of body organs, nerves, cells

Vitamins

Food Sources:

Fruits and vegetables, milk, liver, cereals, breads

Body Uses Them For:

Growth, healing, resistance to sickness, healthy skin, eyes, teeth, gums, hair and bones

Minerals

Food Sources:

Milk, cheese, yogurt, green leafy vegetables, meat, eggs, breads, cereals

Body Uses Them For:

Bones, teeth, blood, nerves, muscles

Fiber

Food Sources:

Raw fruits and vegetables, whole grain cereals

Body Uses Them For:

Digestion, getting rid of wastes

Figure 4. Vegetables are a good source of fibre

Hydration

An adequate amount of daily water intake is by far the most important of all the dietary requirements for the body and is essential to life and hydration.

Water is important because it prevents dehydration, reduces stress on the kidneys, and helps maintain regular bowel functions.

A person may live for several weeks without food, but can only survive for a few days without water. That is because our bodies are 55% to 75% water, and we lose about 10 cups of water each day through sweating, going to the bathroom, and breathing.

Clients may require more water depending on their conditions. Click on the icon to read about those who will require more water.

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Increased fluid intake is required for people who:

Experience heavy sweating/perspiration.

Use tranquilizers, seizure medications, or some behavioral health medications.

Experience heavy drooling.

Experience urinary tract infections (kidney and bladder).

Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration

Care workers must be fully aware of the signs and symptoms of dehydration in order to ensure that their clients are sufficiently hydrated, these are outlined below:

Dry skin, especially around mouth/lips and mucous membranes.
Less skin flexibility/elasticity.

Dark, concentrated urine with decreased urination. Less/absent sweating.

Leads to electrolyte imbalance, disorientation, even death if untreated.

Care workers may have to encourage their clients to drink water.
Click on the icon for tips to encourage clients to drink water.

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To encourage an individual to drink fluids:

Have water within reach, encourage intake.

Use other fluids as well, such as shakes, fruit drinks, soups, puddings.

Avoid caffeine and sugar in fluids, if possible, since caffeine and sugar are dehydrating to the body. If you drink a lot of coffee, cola (even diet cola) and other similar liquids, you need to drink more water than the average person.

Dehydration – Diuretics

People who are on diuretics (water pills) often do not like to drink water. They feel it makes them have to go to the bathroom more frequently.

However, not drinking enough fluids will send a message to the brain to retain fluids. This makes the condition being treated even worse. Diuretics are often used to treat heart and circulation problems.

Figure 5. Water is an important source of hydration. 2 liters are recommended a day

Menu Planning – Consumer Rights

Standard client rights dictate that each client has the choice of which foods to eat and the choice of what times that those foods will be eaten.

However, what happens if the client wants to eat something that is not on their prescribed diet?

The carer should try to come to an agreement with the client in order to follow the diet. For example, if the client is diabetic and is demanding chocolate cake, maybe the client can have a small piece and freeze the rest.

There are guidelines that should be taken into account when planning a menu for a client, click on the icon to read about them.

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General Guidelines for Menu Planning

• Note any food allergies. Some food allergies can cause a severe allergic reaction, which can quickly lead to death.

• Note any special diet orders. Plan and prepare the meal according to the dietary restrictions

• Make sure client uses good oral hygiene. Assist with oral care if needed. Poor dental hygiene can lead to inflammation of the gums and sensitive teeth, causing pain and difficulty with chewing. It also can decrease the person’s appetite.

• Make sure dental appliances such as dentures fit and are used properly.

Cultural and Religious Issues

As a carer worker, you must be aware of the range of cultural and religious issues that can influence the foods that your clients may eat or avoid.

Most people may be aware that people of the Muslim faith do not eat pork, however there are many other aspects that carers must be aware of:

In many Asian cultures, rice must be included with all meals or it is not seen as a meal.

Many people of the Hindu faith will not eat beef.

Many people of the Jewish faith will only eat Kosher food.

It's best to ask and not assume anything about what someone wants to eat.

Food Groups

It is important that carers ensure that their clients are receiving all food groups in their diet. All five food groups are outlined below:

Breads & Cereals

Breads and cereals are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Whole grain products such as whole wheat bread, oatmeal, and brown rice are good choices. Look for dry breakfast cereals that are low in sugar.

Figure 2. Breads and cereals are a good source of fibre, vitamins, and minerals

Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber and are generally low in fat. Dark leafy greens are rich in vitamins, minerals, and cancer-preventing chemicals.

Citrus fruits/ juices such as oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines are rich sources of vitamin C.

Figure 3. Fruits and vegetables are a good source of fibre

Proteins

It is important that various forms of proteins such as: animal (beef, pork, poultry, fish, and eggs) and/or vegetable (beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds), are included in the diet daily.

When preparing animal protein for your client, look for lean meats and trim off the visible fat.

Figure 4. Eggs are a good source of protein

The Food Guide Pyramid

The food guide pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day based on dietary guidelines. No one food group is more important than another – you need them all for good nutrition and health.

Start with plenty of breads, cereals, rice, pasta, vegetables and fruits. Add 2-3 servings from the milk group and 2-3 servings from the meat group.

Go easy on fats, oils and sweets, and other foods found at the top of the pyramid.

Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group

6-11

Servings

Vegetable Group

3-5 Servings

Fruit Group

2-4 Servings

Milk, Yogurt and Cheese Group

2-3 Servings

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts Group

2-3 Servings

Fats, Oils and Sweets

Use Sparingly

Food Labels

Most packaged food has a label, click on the icon to see an example of a label. While examining it, keep the following in mind:

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Food Label Examples

Below is an example of a food label for two types of milk, note the differences.

Reduced Fat Milk (2%)

Nonfat Milk

Ingredients are listed from highest to lowest by volume or weight. The number of calories in a serving and the calories from fat are also listed.

Vitamins are only listed if there is a significant amount in the food. Total fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate and dietary fiber are listed both by weight in grams and percentages of daily value.

Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Older people usually need 1600 to 2000 calories based on their activity level (males usually require the higher number of calories)

The recommendations for the daily intake of fat, fat, cholesterol, and sodium are:

• Total fat: less than 65 grams or 30% of caloric intake

• Saturated fat: less than 20 grams

• Cholesterol: less than 300 mg

• Sodium: less than 2,400 mg

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