Supporting Information

Nursing Home Awareness Campaigns

Nutrition and Hydration Awareness: Nutrition Care Alerts

Eating nutritious food and getting enough fluid (hydration) are essential to good health, especially in the elderly. Serious weight loss is not a normal response to aging and should always be considered a serious problem. Dehydration happens when the body loses more water or fluid than it takes in and can also have serious effects on blood pressure and other body functions.

Regardless of the cause, recognizing these problems early is important. For many residents, simple changes in feeding or drinking patterns may be enough. For others, more changes may be needed.

A Nutrition/Hydration Awareness Campaign has been developed to call attention to the early warning signs of weight loss and dehydration among residents of long term care facilities. Nutrition Care Alerts are easy-to-follow ways to prevent or improve these conditions. While the program is designed for Certified Nurse Assistants, family members, friends, and other caregivers of the elderly can use it to help prevent unintended weight loss and dehydration.