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

[georgie]

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?

[Ursa Major]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[angel-jd1]

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

-Jessica

[happygirl]

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

[angel-jd1]

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

That's what I am hoping for! ha