Assisting with Nutrition Needs
Many of the clients you will be caring for will need some help with meals. They may be unable to feed themselves because of weakness or disability. Be aware of their feelings of loss regarding this skill when you assist them to eat. It is important to determine how much the client can do themselves and encourage independence, but know when to assist clients when they need support to eat. In some circumstances, for example during illness, it may be necessary to record a client’s food or fluid intake and compare this to total output. In this unit, we explore how HCAs can support clients who either cannot feed themselves or are at risk for choking.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this unit, the successful student will be able to:
- Describe nutrition in relation to common health challenges.
- Identify cultural differences.
- Identify components of common special diets.
- Explain the purpose of enteral nutrition.
- Differentiate between choking and dysphagia.
- Demonstrate the set-up of a food tray and assist a person to eat.
- Demonstrate feeding a person who is incapable of feeding themselves.
- Report and record food & fluid intake and output.
Terms to Know
Measuring how much food by percentage eaten and measuring how much liquid drank.
Difficulty swallowing
A ball-like mixture of food and saliva that forms in the mouth during the process of chewing
Inhalation of fluids or object into the lungs
The inability of a person to acquire sufficient oxygen through breathing for an extended period of time. Asphyxia can cause coma or death.
Nutrition in the form of a liquid such as drinking nutrition beverages or formulas and tube-feeding.
Feeding tube
Backward flow of food/fluid from the stomach into the mouth
