Oral Nutritional Supplement Use in Elderly Nursing Home Patients

Abstract

The diagnosis of and intervention in under-nutrition in nursing home patients is frequently disorganized. In addition, nutritional assessment, either for screening or for following intervention, is hampered by the lack of convenient and unambiguous assessment tools. OS use is associated with weight gain in many nursing home patients and also improves other nutritional parameters in selected individuals.

A Prospective Study of the Use of Liquid Oral Dietary Supplements in Nursing Homes1

“…Oral supplements have improved the postoperative outcome of older patients with hip fractures 41,42 . However, the role of supplements among nursing home residents has not been well studied, and the value of oral supplements for residents who are losing weight is unknown 1 …”

“…Individual states mandate that such a weight loss be reported to the physician 3 . Often, when weight loss occurs, liquid oral dietary supplements are prescribed 1 . Although physicians frequently order supplements for residents who are not eating well, only a few studies have described their use and effectiveness 1,12,13 …”

Análise crítica do uso do índice de massa corporal para idosos

“…Problemas nutricionais estão associados ao aumento da morbidade e mortalidade e com impacto negativo na qualidade de vida entre idosos 44 . Vários pesquisadores têm sugerido a utilização do IMC em estudos para investigar a relação entre sobrepeso e baixo peso com o risco de mortalidade 8,[45][46][47][48][49][50][51] .…”

Prevention of Unintentional Weight Loss in Nursing Home Residents: A Controlled Trial of Feeding Assistance

“…Most studies have focused on the effect of oral liquid nutritional supplements on weight loss outcomes, with mixed results 8–11. In practice, NH staff often do not provide supplements consistent with physician or dietitian orders nor do they provide adequate assistance or encouragement to promote consumption 12,13.…”