Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Celiacs In Nursing Homes - How Can We Make Sure They Are Safe.

georgie

Recommended Posts

georgie Enthusiast
georgie
Posted

A friend of mine rang in tears. Her father has dementia since a stroke and now has had a fall and been put into a Nursing Home. He has been Celiac for many years - basically eating correctly with the occasional lapse for which he suffered each time. Now he is in this Nursing Home the staff are giving him cookies as 'one won't matter', and making him sandwiches with regular bread. My friend can't seem to make them understand that he needs a special diet. He is 82 with dementia - is it worth the fight and aggro ? Or does she have to sit back and let them feed him like they are?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

What your friend needs to do is talk to her father's doctor. The doctor needs to go to the nursing home and make them understand that his diet is medically necessary, and can't be deviated on. Maybe a nutritionist can go and talk to the staff and educate them.

Somebody they will listen to needs to tell those blockheads at the nursing home that they are KILLING the man with their cookies and sandwiches!

Luvs to Scrap Apprentice
Luvs to Scrap
Posted

I agree that having the dr talk o the nursing home about needing to be strict with the diet would be helpful. For some reason some people just don't believe people who live with the diet every day. Your post made me realize how lucky we are with the nursing home in town where my DH grandma lives. Someone comes in and makes her special bread and they are very careful what they give her. They even served gluten-free peanut butter cookies at the Christmas party for everyone. DS and DH were thrilled because they actually had something to eat too at the party. They have also but gluten-free sandwiches on a plate for grandma, DS and DH at other parties. DH hasn't gotten sick eating what they say is safe so I think they must be pretty careful. Grandma cheats but it is her choice not their fault and it is usually at one of our family things. My DS and DH do not cheat and it frustrates me when she does because it makes me look ultra strict and paranoid about my husband and son and being careful about what they eat. DH says if he is 80 something and lives a couple feet from the bathroom and doesn't have anything else to do he guesses it would be ok to cheat but he currently does not think it is work the big D and health problems.

Possibly providing staff with some "safe" cookies that they can give the resident might be an option too since they seem to be inclined to think he needs cookies. I wish your friend the best and hope the nursing home gets a clue soon! Kendra

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
A friend of mine rang in tears. Her father has dementia since a stroke and now has had a fall and been put into a Nursing Home. He has been Celiac for many years - basically eating correctly with the occasional lapse for which he suffered each time. Now he is in this Nursing Home the staff are giving him cookies as 'one won't matter', and making him sandwiches with regular bread. My friend can't seem to make them understand that he needs a special diet. He is 82 with dementia - is it worth the fight and aggro ? Or does she have to sit back and let them feed him like they are?

Contact his doctor and contact the head of the nursing home or better yet have your lawyer do it. Be firm as Ursa said they are killing him and not painlessly.

Viola 1 Rookie
Viola 1
Posted

Waht a shame! And doing it to someone that can't stand up for themselves. That's scary.

Yes, ... get that doctor involved, and if necessary a lawyer.

Generic Apprentice
Generic
Posted

I don't know how it is down in Australia (I'm assuming that is where he is too). My mom worked in nursing homes for years, as a nurse. She says the food they feed the paitents is absolute crap. Every thing and I mean everything comes pre-made just add water etc. She has seen a decline in people's health eating all the preservatives and additives.

She had seen (she is retired now) about a 300% increase in bed sores, skin tears and those little "hang nail" skin pieces around the finger nails. She has always been very nutrtion conscience. When my great-grandma was put into a home they put her in the home where my mom worked. My G-Gram was diagnosed w/celiac at 82.

She said just about any time they got a new dietician or nutritionist they would give her the wrong food. They really just have no clue. (Now I am not saying all dieticians or nutrtionists are clueless, so please don't take offence if you are one). The problem is most of the food has tons of gluten in it in one form or another. The kitchen staff would actually have to cook something from scratch -oh the horror!

-Laurie

Nancym Enthusiast
Nancym
Posted

My Mom is in a pretty nice nursing home, very family like, lovely place. Anyway, even so it seems like the kitchen is extremely disorganized. Yeah, I would imagine getting a proper diet from a nursing home would be like getting the same from a hospital, really difficult. Still, they're supposed to be able to handle that.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


angel-jd1 Community Regular
angel-jd1
Posted

I know that nursing homes currently don't seem to be able to comprehend the term gluten free. I am hoping that by the time that I need a nursing home they have it down pat.

I am sure years ago they had no clue about diets for diabetic people, people with low sodium diets and so on. However, they have learned with their learning curve. I hope it is the same way for gluten free diets.

By the time my generation gets in nursing homes, they will have a jillion food allergies and intollerances to be cooking for. They had better start practicing now :P

-Jessica :rolleyes:

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

Maybe by the time we are there, Jessica, there will be specialty gluten free nursing homes ;).

angel-jd1 Community Regular
angel-jd1
Posted
Maybe by the time we are there, Jessica, there will be specialty gluten free nursing homes ;).

That's what I am hoping for! ha

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Kirita
      - Kirita posted a topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      0

      Recovery from gluten challenge

      I’m wondering if anyone has had any experience with the gluten challenge. My teenager completed a gluten challenge over the summer, it ended up being 10 weeks although she stopped being consistent eating gluten after 6. Her previous endoscopy was negative but this past August it was positive after the gluten challenge. If you have done the gluten challenge, ...
    2. annamarie6655
      - annamarie6655 posted a topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      0

      Airborne Gluten?

      Hello everyone, I was on here a few months ago trying to figure out if I was reacting to something other than gluten, to which a very helpful response was that it could be xanthin or guar gum. Since then, I have eaten items with both of those ingredients in it and I have not reacted to it, so my mystery reaction to the Digiorno pizza remains...
    3. trents
      - trents replied to Mell2's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      13

      Rectal pain

      I was suffering from PF just previous to being dx with celiac disease about 25 yr. ago but have not been troubled with it since. Not sure what the connection between the two is of if there is one. But I do know it is a very painful condition that takes your breath away when it strikes.
    4. Celiac and Salty
      - Celiac and Salty replied to Mell2's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      13

      Rectal pain

      I have dealt with proctalgia fugax on and off for a year now. It feels almost paralyzing during an episode and they have started lasting longer and longer, sometimes 20+ minutes. I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease and wonder if the 2 are related. I did request a prescription for topical nitroglycerin for my PF episodes and that has helped tremendously...
    5. Rogol72
      - Rogol72 replied to Butch68's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      Guinness, can you drink it?

      Hey @Butch68, I also have dermatitis herpetiformis but don't suffer from it anymore. I used to drink Guinness too but I drink Cider now when out on social occasions. I assume you are in Ireland or the UK. If it's any good to you ... 9 White Deer based in Cork brew a range of gluten-free products including a gluten-free Stout. I'm not sure if they...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,235
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    kssynlson37
    Newest Member
    kssynlson37
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Kirita
      Recovery from gluten challenge

      By Kirita · Posted

      I’m wondering if anyone has had any experience with the gluten challenge. My teenager completed a gluten challenge over the summer, it ended up being 10 weeks although she stopped being consistent eating gluten after 6. Her previous endoscopy was negative but this past August it was positive after the gluten challenge. If you have done the gluten challenge, how long did it take you to feel back to normal? It took about two months before she got “glutened” again but now she’s having difficult coming back from that and has a lot of fatigue. I’m hoping someone has some advice! 
    • annamarie6655
      Airborne Gluten?

      By annamarie6655 · Posted

      Hello everyone, I was on here a few months ago trying to figure out if I was reacting to something other than gluten, to which a very helpful response was that it could be xanthin or guar gum.    Since then, I have eaten items with both of those ingredients in it and I have not reacted to it, so my mystery reaction to the Digiorno pizza remains.    HOWEVER, I realized something recently- the last time I got glutened and the most recent time I got glutened, I truly never ate anything with gluten in it. But i did breathe it in.    The first time was a feed barrel for my uncle’s chickens- all of the dust came right up, and most of what was in there was wheat/grains. The second time was after opening a pet food bag and accidentally getting a huge whiff of it.    When this happens, I tend to have more neurological symptoms- specifically involuntary muscle spasms/jerks everywhere. It also seems to cause migraines and anxiety as well. Sometimes, with more airborne exposure, I get GI symptoms, but not every time.    My doctor says he’s never heard of it being an airborne problem, but also said he isn’t well versed in celiac specifics. I don’t have the money for a personal dietician, so I’m doing the best I can.    is there anyone else who has experienced this, or gets similar neurological symptoms? 
    • trents
      Rectal pain

      By trents · Posted

      I was suffering from PF just previous to being dx with celiac disease about 25 yr. ago but have not been troubled with it since. Not sure what the connection between the two is of if there is one. But I do know it is a very painful condition that takes your breath away when it strikes.
    • Celiac and Salty
      Rectal pain

      By Celiac and Salty · Posted

      I have dealt with proctalgia fugax on and off for a year now. It feels almost paralyzing during an episode and they have started lasting longer and longer, sometimes 20+ minutes. I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease and wonder if the 2 are related. I did request a prescription for topical nitroglycerin for my PF episodes and that has helped tremendously!
    • Rogol72
      Guinness, can you drink it?

      By Rogol72 · Posted

      Hey @Butch68, I also have dermatitis herpetiformis but don't suffer from it anymore. I used to drink Guinness too but I drink Cider now when out on social occasions. I assume you are in Ireland or the UK. If it's any good to you ... 9 White Deer based in Cork brew a range of gluten-free products including a gluten-free Stout. I'm not sure if they are certified though. https://www.9whitedeer.ie/ I haven't come across any certified gluten-free stouts this side of the pond.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.