| We serve individuals
with any life-threatening illness and many of our clients have
multiple conditions which require a very specialized diet. Here
are some of the complications our clients face which can be
alleviated with proper nutrition. Cancer
The goals of nutritional care of patients with cancer are
to prevent or correct nutritional deficiencies and to minimize
weight loss. The medical management of cancer may involve
surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, marrow transplantation,
or any combination of these. Each of these therapeutic treatment
plans contributes to nutritional alterations in patients by
interfering with their ability to ingest, digest, and absorb
food adequately. Depending on the individuals cancer type
nutritional side effects will vary.
Some common nutritional effects of anti cancer
treatments include:
- Xerostomia
(mouth dryness), taste alterations, early satiety, constipation,
and nausea/vomiting, and immune suppression.
- Cancer cachexia
is also very common among cancer patients, a syndrome where
progressive weight loss, anorexia, anemia, and abnormalities
in protein, fat, and carbohydrate metabolism occur. This
syndrome will leave the patient weak, malnourished, and
emaciated.
End Stage Renal Disease
This is a disease characterized by the kidney’s inability
to excrete waste products, maintain fluid and electrolyte
balance, and produce hormones.
Treatment options for clients who are suffering from ESRD
are either dialysis or organ transplantation. The goals of
nutritional care in the management of ESRD are:
- To prevent deficiency and maintain good
nutritional status through adequate protein, calories, vitamin
and mineral intake.
- To control fluid retention and electrolyte
imbalance by controlling sodium, potassium, and fluid intake.
- To prevent or slow the development of renal
osteodystrophy – a metabolic bone disease as
a complication of ESRD- by controlling calcium, phosphorus,
and vitamin D intake.
- To enable the patient to eat a palatable,
attractive diet that fits his or her lifestyle as much as
possible.
Multiple Sclerosis
This disease affects the CNS by destroying the myelin sheath
whose function is to transmit electrical nerve impulses.
It is critically important that the client with MS is evaluated
for nutritional health and nutrition status is maximized as
an adjunct to the medical care plan.
As the disease progresses, neurological deficits may occur
and problems such as impaired vision and poor ambulation make
eating less enjoyable by turning meal preparation into a difficult
task.
Unfortunately, in this situation clients typically turn to
convenience and highly processed food for meals which are
high in sodium and fat. |
