According to Kaiser Health News, 28 percent of patients (many being older adults) who are offered home health care services when they are discharged from the hospital, refuse the services available, which could lead to delayed recoveries, and reduced independence. Studies indicate that those who refuse post-discharge services may have higher rates of readmission to the hospital and a lower quality of life.
Topics: Home Delivered Meals, Medicare, Nutrition Care, Malnutrition, Post Discharge, Aging Well
Emergency Preparedness Tips for Summer's Weather Hazards
Posted by Maureen Garner, MS, RD, LD on Jun 14, 2017 11:00:00 AM
The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1. According to forecasters at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there will be another above-normal hurricane season this year. The forecasters predict a 70 percent likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms, of which 5 to 9 could become hurricanes, including 2 to 4 major hurricanes.
Topics: Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Preparedness, Shelf-Stable Meals
Does your grandpa have the meal support he needs?
Posted by Maureen Garner, MS, RD, LD on May 26, 2017 9:46:06 AM
Topics: Senior Health, Food Insecurity, Healthy Meals for Seniors, Senior Health Plans, Senior Nutrition
Does Your Patient's Health Plan Offer Post-Discharge Meals?
Posted by Mary O'Hara on May 17, 2017 11:50:33 AM
Case managers and discharge planners have many things to consider before their patients return home after a hospitalization. You may not be aware that some healthcare plans now offer nutrition care benefits for post-discharge patients.
Benefits of Nutrition Care
Topics: Healthcare Cost Reduction, Medicare, Post Discharge, Care Managers
According to The National Aging in Place Council (NAIPC), more than 90 percent of older adults prefer to stay in their homes rather than move to a senior facility. One of the challenges you face as a case manager is helping seniors to age in place. People want to stay in their homes because they are most comfortable with what is familiar.
Topics: Home Delivered Meals, Nutrition Care, Care Managers, Aging Well, Senior Nutrition
As a caregiver, you have many things to worry about. Food safety shouldn’t be one of them. When choosing a home-delivered meal provider, food safety and quality should be top priorities. Selecting a provider that uses extensive food preparation safety procedures with a safe delivery model will provide peace of mind.
The “cold chain” process is one of the most effective and reliable methods of assuring food safety. This process ensures that food is maintained at temperatures that prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that can make you sick.
The cold chain process transports perishable foods without using harmful preservatives and additives. This continuous cold chain ensures seniors will receive safe and healthy meals.
Here are some questions to ask when comparing home-delivered meal providers:
- Is the food prepared fresh in an USDA-inspected facility?
- Are the meals flash frozen to -19° F?
- Is the food maintained in a cold storage at -10° F until delivery?
- Is the food delivered to homes in specially-designed freezer trucks?
- Do they have specially-trained drivers unpack meals and store them in freezer until ready to eat?
Topics: Nutrition, Home Delivered Meals, The Cold Chain, Food Safety, Caregivers, Healthy Meals for Seniors, Senior Nutrition
How Baby Boomers are Changing the Way We Plan Menus
Posted by Chef Michael Thrash, CEC, CCA, WCEC, PCII on Apr 20, 2017 11:20:21 AM
Topics: Home Delivered Meals, Healthy Meals for Seniors, Aging Well, Senior Nutrition, Baby Boomers, Menu Planning
Reducing Child Hunger with Summer Food Service Programs
Posted by Mary O'Hara on Apr 13, 2017 10:10:26 AM
Topics: Nutrition, Child Nutrition, Summer Meals, SFSP
When patients go into the hospital, one thing they may not expect is to leave malnourished. But, that is exactly what occurs to one-third of patients admitted to hospitals. Malnutrition is not always recognized and often goes untreated during hospitalization. Weight loss and poor nutritional intake can delay the healing and recovery process. This may lead to more challenging recoveries, and in many cases, relaspse and readmission.
Topics: Malnutrition in Elderly, Home Delivered Meals, Healthcare Cost Reduction, Healthy Meals for Seniors, Post Discharge
How to Reduce Healthcare Costs with Home-Delivered Meals
Posted by Mary O'Hara on Mar 29, 2017 3:50:26 PM
Malnutrition is a surprising problem in America. One out of every three patients admitted to the hospital suffer from malnutrition. If untreated, two-thirds will become severely malnourished during their stay. Approximately one-third of patients who are not malnourished will become so by the time they are discharged.
Topics: Malnutrition in Elderly, Home Delivered Meals, Healthcare Cost Reduction, Nutrition Care, Post Discharge