Nursing facility residents often have difficulty obtaining adequate nutrition due to cognitive and functional difficulties. Adverse clinical outcomes such as a higher prevalence of decubitus ulcers, delays in wound healing, and increases in infection, hospitalization, and mortality can occur. Protein energy undernutrition is estimated to occur in 15 percent to 65 percent of nursing facility residents. Nutritional status is monitored by estimating food intake. Federal and state regulations necessitate identification of residents who do not eat 75 percent of their meals served.
Documentation is required so corrective action can be taken.
Licensed nurses record information gathered by nurse assistants. In this study information was gathered on the actual amount of food consumed by weighing food and caloric fluids before and after lunch for 27 residents. Staff observational estimates were gathered and compared with actual intake. Twenty percent of the time, staff estimates varied from actual intake. Intake was overestimated in these cases.