My name is Delacey, and I am completing the MS distance program in Southern California. I recently completed my concentration in senior living at a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). A CCRC provides housing to independent seniors. As they require more care, they are able to move to assisted care, and eventually for the highest level of care, skilled nursing, all of which are on the same grounds. This allows seniors to receive the care they need while still maintaining a home environment.
I would recommend the senior living concentration to future interns with an interest in long-term care. The senior living concentration was more rewarding than I ever could have imagined. When making nutrition interventions in long-term care, you have the opportunity to see the interventions through; these interventions truly make an impact on the residents, improving both nutritional status and quality of life.
Current senior living philosophies are much different than years previous. Residents are now the center of their own care. Senior living is not a hospital environment; it is a home environment. From a nutrition standpoint, when working with seniors it is important to always use a food first approach. This means the dietitian works to ensure that every bite counts. Boosting calories can be done by fortifying diets or supplying a delicious afternoon milkshake comprised of the resident’s favorite fruits and ice cream, as opposed to recommending generalized supplements the resident will likely not enjoy or consume. Each resident is unique, and the dietitian must adapt to many different situations, personalities, and chronic illnesses. Whether finding ways to encourage a resident with dementia to eat, timing protein intake around Parkinson’s medication, or liberalizing diets, every day is a different and rewarding experience. When working in skilled nursing, dietitians are given the opportunity to help those who truly cannot help themselves, and subsequently, make amazing impacts on their quality of life.
I would recommend the senior living concentration to future interns with an interest in long-term care. The senior living concentration was more rewarding than I ever could have imagined. When making nutrition interventions in long-term care, you have the opportunity to see the interventions through; these interventions truly make an impact on the residents, improving both nutritional status and quality of life.
Current senior living philosophies are much different than years previous. Residents are now the center of their own care. Senior living is not a hospital environment; it is a home environment. From a nutrition standpoint, when working with seniors it is important to always use a food first approach. This means the dietitian works to ensure that every bite counts. Boosting calories can be done by fortifying diets or supplying a delicious afternoon milkshake comprised of the resident’s favorite fruits and ice cream, as opposed to recommending generalized supplements the resident will likely not enjoy or consume. Each resident is unique, and the dietitian must adapt to many different situations, personalities, and chronic illnesses. Whether finding ways to encourage a resident with dementia to eat, timing protein intake around Parkinson’s medication, or liberalizing diets, every day is a different and rewarding experience. When working in skilled nursing, dietitians are given the opportunity to help those who truly cannot help themselves, and subsequently, make amazing impacts on their quality of life.
