Adapting Treatment Plans for Food Insecurity-Addressing the Needs of Senior Citizens with Dietary Restrictions

Adapting Treatment Plans for Food Insecurity-Addressing the Needs of Senior Citizens with Dietary Restrictions

In the virtual case scenario, the management plan included a weight loss plan and diet restriction. The recommended diet restriction was low sodium, eating heart-friendly food and avoiding caffeine. The client was to have weight measurements every morning to assess for any weight gain. However, this treatment plan would slightly change if the client admitted to food insecurity.

In the main, food insecurity refers to uncertain access to food or inability to access nutritious food due to financial constraints. This is more common among the citizens who suffer from homelessness. According to Leung et al. (2020), food insecurity in adults is associated with chronic diseases such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes. This is thought to result from a metabolic syndrome that may develop due to the inability to access healthy food. With that in mind, it is therefore crucial to acknowledge that the patient may not be able to follow the diet restriction instructions and may continue adding weight. The best plan of management would be to link the client to social workers or community health workers for home follow-up.

Fortunately, some programs exist to curb food insecurity. For instance, a federal food assistance and nutrition program assists those in need, especially geriatrics, in acquiring nutritious food for healthy living (Mozaffarian, Fleischhacker & Andres, 2021). The client would, therefore, benefit from accessing heart-friendly foods with low sodium content to help control blood pressure and heart disease. In addition to the federal food program, there are charitable organizations that help individuals facing food insecurity get food. All these are possible through the social workers and the community health workers. The food program organizations work closely with nutritionists to ensure those suffering from chronic diseases get the recommended diet.

References

Leung, C. W., Kullgren, J. T., Malani, P. N., Singer, D. C., Kirch, M., Solway, E., & Wolfson, J. A. (2020). Food insecurity is associated with multiple chronic conditions and physical health status among older US adults. Preventive medicine reports, 20, 101211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101211

Mozaffarian, D., Fleischhacker, S., & Andrés, J. R. (2021). Prioritizing nutrition security in the US. Jama, 325(16), 1605-1606. https://doi.org/10.1001/

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Reflection: Address the following questions:
How would your treatment plan change if your client admitted to food insecurity? What resources are available in your community that would be useful for senior citizens experiencing food insecurity and dietary restrictions based on medical diagnoses?

Include the following components:
write 150-300 words in a Microsoft Word document
demonstrate clinical judgment appropriate to the virtual patient scenario
cite at least one relevant scholarly source as defined by program expectations
communicate with minimal errors in English grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation