Most senior care centers across the country have endorsed the philosophies of person-centered care as well as the liberalized diet that it promotes. The days of medical or therapeutic diets low in fat, salt, sugar, carbohydrates and starches are gone for the most part and have been replaced by highly individualized food preferences. It’s not rocket science to imagine that if seniors are in control of their diet and have the ability to choose what they want to eat, within reason, they will experience better health outcomes and greater quality of life, which are far better than malnutrition.
What’s Wrong with Therapeutic Diets?
For decades, therapeutic diets have been prescribed to manage age-related diseases and health problems like heart disease and diabetes. While they may have been a healthy option, a negative side effect was malnutrition due to overly bland and tasteless food. They simply were too restrictive and limiting and brought no joy to mealtimes. Therapeutic diets are also modified for nutrients, textures, food allergies and food intolerances. The benefits of this diet were grossly outweighed by the high costs of malnutrition and poor quality of life for many seniors.
Change the Meds Not the Food
A tough lesson learned through the prescribing of therapeutic diets is that they missed their mark. While attempting to better control disease conditions they made matters worse. In addition, many therapeutic diets have failed to provide measurable health benefits within the senior population residing in skilled nursing centers. Because of this, leaders in senior care now know that it is preferable to make modifications to medications rather than take away the joy of eating. Diabetics may be able to eat more of what they prefer with simple adjustments to their medications.
Benefits of The Liberalized Diet
While there are numerous benefits associated with this diet, the risk of malnutrition has got to be one of the most important. It’s well-known that malnutrition is common in skilled care, and for a number of reasons like frailty, cognitive and memory problems, and declining health. Overly-strict diets are among the leading causes of malnutrition in senior care. Food not eaten is healthy for no one and is associated with unintentional weight loss and risk of malnutrition.
Improved Quality of Life
Eating what one wants, where one wants and what time one wants matters. Chances are, foods that are appealing and delicious will be eaten more than foods lacking in taste, color or excitement. The liberalized diet brings joy back to the dining room table. Meals are an experience, and the food, as well as the company, might be the highlight of the senior’s day.
Final Thoughts on Benefits of the Liberalized Diet
It took a while to change the way diet and nutrition are viewed in senior care. Once, therapeutic diets were believed to be the best option for maintaining health but came with a heavy price, that of malnutrition and decreased quality of life. The liberalized diet has many benefits for seniors living in care centers. The food is what they want and enjoy. It tastes better and mealtimes are more exciting when they eat what they want to. Health outcomes appear to be better as well, for example, better skin integrity and fewer pressure ulcers. This diet even saves money, since great food is chosen over expensive liquid supplements.
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