ABSTRACT
The renal dietitian has the challenge of planning a renal diet for patients treated with hemodialysis. The diet must be individualized to provide adequate nutrition for maintenance of ideal body weight and provide for the patient's sense of well-being (1). Because eating and drinking during hemodialysis present serious potential health risks (2-4), the renal dietitian needs to counsel the patient and/or other care provider to plan ways that the patient can consume adequate nutrition. The dietitian will need to follow a series of steps to assess, monitor, and provide alternate meal patterns, which may even include the use of commercial supplements.
Subject(s)
Ambulatory Care Facilities/organization & administration , Dietary Services , Renal Dialysis , Data Collection , Drinking , Eating , Humans , Multicenter Studies as Topic , North Carolina , Patient Compliance , Policy Making , Renal Dialysis/standardsABSTRACT
The quality of food service and nutrition education at a private day care center concerned a registered dietitian who was also a graduate student in public health nutrition and the mother of a toddler enrolled at the center. As part of her information search, the dietitian discussed her concerns with an interdisciplinary team of public health nutritionists, a sanitarian, state dietary consultants, and North Carolina Office of Child Day Care Licensing staff. Through a study conducted at a day care center, the nutrition education of the staff and the children was improved. Sanitation was emphasized in the food preparation area, while basic nutrition education concerned with the prevention of childhood obesity, iron deficiency anemia, and dental caries was provided to the director, the teachers, and the children. Efforts are now being made at the state level to improve child day care nutrition standards. Recommendations are included for all phases of menu planning, food service, and nutrition education in child day care facilities.
