It takes many departments to provide well-rounded healthcare to seniors. The Virginia Health Services dietary department includes Registered Dietitians (RDs) who help ensure nutrition is at the forefront of the dining experience for residents at our seven nursing and rehabilitation centers and two assisted living communities.
March is National Nutrition Month, and National Registered Dietitian Day is March 12 this year. In honor of it, VHS is highlighting how nutrition is a critical component of health and wellness of all residents in the long-term care setting.
“Nutrition affects every part of the body and all of its functions,” says VHS Director of Dining and Nutrition Christina Lewis. “For residents with chronic health conditions, nutrition plays a vital role in the treatment of those conditions and the prevention of further complications.
“For residents recovering from illnesses, injuries or surgeries, good nutrition can help them regain their strength and stamina more quickly.”
The theme for this year’s National Nutrition Month is “Food Connects Us.” The Academy of Nutrition and Dietitians says of the theme on its site, “Health, memories, traditions, seasons and access can all impact our relationship with food. While these factors influence the foods we eat, the foods we eat also affect our health.”
Registered Dietitians play a crucial role in our residents’ connections with food. They are responsible for the nutritional care and wellbeing of all residents, including overseeing the menus served to residents at our communities.
VHS has a team of Registered Dietitian (RDs) who assess our residents and work with the nursing staff and dietary team (who are celebrated during Healthcare Food Service Workers Week in October) to administer medical nutrition therapy for residents, assist food and nutrition service directors with special diets and menus, and conduct regular sanitation audits.
Our team, led by Christina, includes contracted RDs and full-time team member Pamela “Ela” Bowen.
New menus coming to VHS
This month, VHS will release updated menus at all of our nursing and rehabilitation centers.
While developing resident menus, the dietitian must adhere to guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as consider individual preferences and needs of all residents, Christina said.
The new menus were developed by VHS Registered Dietitians. The four-week cycle menu provides plenty of variety while keeping familiar favorites.
New items on the menu include Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, Shrimp Scampi, Swedish Meatballs and Denver Omelets. Returning favorites include pot roast and fried chicken.
“As many residents make their home with us, it is also important to consider their food preferences along with their nutritional needs. Providing meals that are tasty as well as nutritious is what we strive for every day,” Christina said.
Keeping tabs
In addition to ensuring well-developed and planned menus for three meals and snacks daily, VHS Registered Dietitians attend care plan meetings with residents and keep tabs on their wellbeing.
While assisted living communities need bi-annual reports on special diets and weight loss/gain, nursing home regulations are more frequent.
Ela’s main responsibilities are charting on new resident admissions, marking significant changes for weight losses monthly, preparing quarterly reports, seeing residents about potential special needs or dietitian consults at nurse practioners’ requests. There are regular resident assessments of food intake, diet, weight management, changes in skin integrity, monitoring of supplements, and swallowing or chewing problems.
She has weekly meetings with the nursing teams to keep proactive monitoring of residents’ nutritional needs.
“We’re really working as a team to try to proactively make sure we’re on top of residents not losing weight, which can add to other issues, such as skin integrity,” Ela says. “I’m excited to be part of the team to make sure residents have the best care they can.”
Not enough protein or lack of certain nutrition can affect skin integrity and lead to wounds, Ela says.
“Our role is to provide preferences, fortified foods and supplements to increase residents’ protein intake.”
Ela says she was drawn to a profession in nutrition when her granddad had cancer.
“I wondered if having certain nutrition or a specific diet would help prevent certain diseases. It’s what triggered wanting to be a dietitian,” she says.
Join our team
We have career pathways in our dietary department across the organization. Search our listings for dietary aides, cooks and servers, and apply at vahs.com/careers.
