Long-Term Care

Special diets

LTC Nursing Assistant Trainer, April 14, 2005

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to LTC Nursing Assistant Trainer!

Our topic today is special diets. We will look at why special diets are ordered and how they can help treat certain diseases and conditions. Medical research indicates that diet is significant in preventing and treating various diseases. Nutrition-related diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure are increasingly being treated by special diets.

You need to know what types of special diets are common in nursing facilities in order to be fully able to provide care to your residents. Skilled nursing facilities typically prepare and serve two types of diets-the "house" diet, or regular diet ordered by the dietician for all residents without special dietary requirements, and modified diets for those with special needs.

House diets contain food a healthy person can eat. Your facility's dietician designs this diet to contain the proper amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and calories. Special diets eliminate foods that cause discomfort or illness, or add foods that aid certain conditions, and still contain the necessary balance of nutritional requirements.

The most common types of special diets are:

  • Diabetic
  • Bland
  • High-fiber
  • High-protein
  • High-calorie
  • Soft
  • Calorie-restricted
  • Residue-restricted
  • Fiber-restricted
  • Fat-controlled
  • Sodium-restricted
  • GERD (anti-reflux)
  • Consistency modified
      - liquid
      - mechanically-altered (such as ground)
      - pureed

Some of the common diseases that require special diets are:

  • Diabetes
  • Cancer
  • Digestive system diseases
  • Certain types of surgery
  • Excessive weight loss
  • Difficulty chewing or swallowing
  • Obesity
  • Heart disease

Be sure to tune in next week, when we discuss the specifics of the most common special diets in nursing facilities.



Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to LTC Nursing Assistant Trainer!

Most Popular

Related Articles