These residents need and deserve attention more frequently. A significant weight loss, if allowed to continue, might result in serious problems for a resident, such as pressure ulcers. Malnutrition and dehydration really cannot wait for a quarterly meeting. The Dining Room Many of us joke about how inaccurate food intake records are. This is because if we did not joke, we would be terribly frustrated.
Food records are our basic clinical tool, along with weight loss, as an index to nutritional status.
If these records are not accurate, we are in the dark. These are questions that will require answers as HCFA focuses on nutrition and hydration. If so, an active presence should be felt in the dining room. The dining room is your key to whether or not your interventions and food budget are effective. An active role to encourage staff members to bring residents to the dining room on time is needed.