Nutrition and nursing professionals rely on food intake reports to identify residents who are at risk and to plan and evaluate nutrition interventions, and an assessment of food intake (ie, whether a resident is eating less than 75% of most meals) is not only useful for patient management but is also required for completion of the Minimum Data Set.

It is critical to have a reliable method for tracking food intake in hospitals and nursing homes and none of the commonly used assessment methods provide conclusively accurate estimates of food intake (J Am Diet Assoc. 2003;103:873-877).

The Calculating Percent Meal Intake For Patients tool has been developed to increase accuracy and to simplify the process. Free, no fee, just use.

calculating percent meal intake for patients.doc

Example of Automobile Expenses:

Change to more fuel efficient vehicle could have saved as much as $1,400 per year. At today’s higher fuel prices the savings would be greater.

Menu planning and menu approval for Senior Nutrition Programs can be pretty complicated but with the right tools it can be a lot easier. Any changes in the menu should be recorded and reviewed for adequacy.

Resources for Menu Planning for Senior Nutrition Programs

Public Health view of Sodium in foods

Sodium Reduction Guidelinesfrom 2013 – 2020

Nutrient Values of Foods

Menu Supplement (sources of vitamins A & C)

Sample Menu Planning Template 

Blank Menu Planning Template – 5 Day

Blank Menu Planning Template – 7 Day

Sample Completed Template – 5 Day

senior nutrition eval form.doc   – To use when inspecting SNP sites.

Sample Home-Delivered Meal (HDM) Program Survey  – Questionnare to be used to evaluate client satisfaction of HDM program.

Summary Form for HDM Survey – Use to calculate overall response of client surveys. 

Reassessment Forms for HDM – Use this form to for the home visit and phone visit tracking and notations. 

Telemedecine Reimbursement Handbook

The California Telemedicine & eHealth Center (CTEC) is a statewide organization dedicated to improving the healthcare of underserved communities through the use of innovative health technology solutions. CTEC is funded by the following agencies:

The California Endowment

Blue Shield of California

Foundation Office for the Advancement of Telehealth

Since inception in 1997, CTEC has become a leader in the statewide development of telemedicine and eHealth programs and is a primary source of support for hospitals and clinics developing telemedicine and eHealth programs to address health care needs in rural and underserved communities. CTEC serves as one of five federally designated Regional Telehealth Resource Centers, providing training and technical assistance to encourage the growth of telemedicine and eHealth programs statewide.

It’s All About Marketing- How to Promote Billable Nutrition Services in your Practice, Facility and Community

ADA Coding and Coverage Committee

Billing Primer

To successfully bill for nutrition services provided by RDs, practitioners need to become familiar with certain terms and procedures used on claims forms.

Looking for nutrition information on nutrients in foods? Great website for menu planning.

Nutrition Data’s database

The information in Nutrition Data’s database comes from the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and is supplemented by listings provided by restaurants and food manufacturers. The source for each individual food item is listed in the footnotes of that food’s Nutrition Facts page. In addition to food composition data, Nutrition Data also provides a variety of proprietary tools to analyze and interpret that data. These interpretations represent Nutrition Data’s opinion and are based on calculations derived from Daily Reference Values (DRVs), Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs), published research, and recommendations of the FDA.

Food Sources of Selected Nutrients 

USDA – The Mission of the Nutrient Data Laboratory is “To develop authoritative food composition databases and state of the art methods to acquire, evaluate, compile and disseminate composition data on foods and dietary supplements available in the United States.”

This directory contains reports of selected food items and nutrients in SR23.  These reports are sorted either by food description or in descending order by nutrient content in terms of common household measures.  The food items and weights in these reports are adapted from those in 2002 revision of Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72, Nutritive Value of Foods.

Find which foods are highest in specific nutrients.

Search the USDA National Nutrient Database

Search individual foods for nutrient values.

Download the USDA Nutrient Database

This page provides access to Release 23 of the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. You can either view the data here or download the data files and documentation in several different formats for use on your computer. An online search is also provided so you can look up the nutrient content of 7,538 different foods directly from this home page.  Search programs for the PC and PDA are also available.

Sample Diet Manual for Food Service

The purpose of this diet manual is to establish a common language and practice for physicians and other healthcare professionals to use when providing nutritional care to individuals under the auspices of the Department of Developmental Services, a State of California Health and Human Services agency. Standard use of diet terminology can assist in providing a smooth transition for individuals transferred between developmental centers, or placed in community facilities or group homes.
This manual includes the most current information on diets in accordance with research findings. Nutritional adequacy of the diets is based upon the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) established by The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine. The appendix includes reference materials that are pertinent and/or useful in providing appropriate nutritional care for individuals with developmental disabilities.
This manual has been simplified to include only those diets most routinely ordered. Each diet lists:
• Purpose
• Diet Principles
• Adequacy
• Foods Allowed
• Foods To Avoid
• Meal Pattern to use in menu planning and /or
• Sample Menu for one day (when appropriate)

FoodSafety.gov is the gateway to food safety information provided by government agencies.

“The federal government will enhance www.foodsafety.gov to better communicate information to the public and include an improved individual alert system allowing consumers to receive food safety information, such as notification of recalls. Agencies will also use social media to expand public communications.”

Selected Federal Agencies with a Role in Food Safety

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) serve important roles in ensuring food safety in the United States.

State Agencies

During an investigation of foodborne illness or a recall, federal government agencies may work with state agencies such as the state department of public health.

NUTRITION CONSULTATION REPORT

 Date:

Patient:                                      Medical Record#                      DOB:                          

Contact Address/Phone:

Provider:

Height: 5’        ”           Weight:          #                     IBW:                BMI:

Dx/PMH:

Meds/Supplements:

Impressions:

Recommendations:

Education Materials:

Signature: