Weight Loss Prevention
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MDS REQUIRES ASSESSMENT OF FOOD AND FLUID INTAKE
The first step in implementing our weight loss prevention intervention-assessing residents' food and fluid intake-will be familiar to most nursing home staff. What's new-and yes, improved-are our methods for accomplishing this assessment.
Nursing staff may recognize this step as one requirement of a comprehensive Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment, the federally mandated resident assessment that nursing homes must complete for every new admission and then quarterly thereafter or whenever there is a significant change in a resident's condition. To be really specific about it, our intervention's first step corresponds to MDS item K4c. This is one of eight MDS items intended to help nursing home staff identify residents at risk for undernutrition and weight loss. It reads: "Resident leaves 25% or more of food uneaten at most meals," to which the nursing home staff is expected to check "Yes" or "No."
If yes, the resident is deemed potentially at risk for undernutrition and weight loss. The problem in usual nursing home practice is that too often the staff check wrongly "No."
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