Your Input is valuable!

As a Registered Dietitian you are exposed to and have the potential of carrying Influenza into facilities.
What have you done to protect yourself and others from Influenza?

About 2,000 Californians die each year as a result of Influenza. Nursing Home Residents are at a high risk of developing serious complications or dying due to their age & health problems. The Influenza virus can spread rapidly after entering a SNF. During outbreaks more than half of the residents can become infected, some leading to hospitalization and death. CDPH recommends "All health-care workers should be vaccinated against Influenza annually..." (1)

1. Remind the DSS & DON to notify you if facility experiences an Influenza or Gastrointestinal Illness outbreak.
2. Determine the number of residents and staff affected. 
3. Some facilities will close the dining rooms or defer activities to reduce the transfer of infections. The dietary department may need your assistance with changing their operating plan.
4.  Review Diet Manual for clear and full liquid diets. Provide In-service education to dietary and nursing staff. The most critical nutrient is usually water or maintaining hydration.
5. Some ill residents prefer a very limited diet which is sometimes referred to as BRAT (Banana, Rice, Applesauce & Tea) for bowel rest and treatment of diarrhea. This is acceptable for a very short time of one to two days.
6. Don't wait until the next month to see if the affected residents have lost weight. Consider obtaining a weight the week after they resume eating their usual diet. 
7.  If weight loss occurs, capture it in your weight review, note the cause and your plan to restore the weight. However, weight loss due to short term illness is AVOIDABLE with early intervention by the nursing & dietary team.  
8.  A short term care plan entry with interdisciplinary approaches, dietary interventions, & appropriate goals for food/fluid intake and to minimize weight loss.  
9. Although the dietary interventions are the same for Influenza/Flu, there are other Gastro-Intestinal illness outbreaks, such as Norovirus, that a group of residents may also experience. Contact HMC office when Norovirus is suspected in a facility.
10. Keep yourself healthy too. Be sure to wash your hands after every resident contact, do not touch your face or mouth, drink plenty of fluids and of course practice good nutrition!