Nutrition and Hydration Research Assignment Paper

Case Study
Mrs. D is a 76 year old African American female who was brought to the doctor’s office for follow up visit by her daughter. The patient is 76, she is fairly alert. History of DM, HTN, High cholesterol, End stage ovarian cancer. She is on home hospice. Her daughter is the primary care taker at home. She has a stage 3 left heel ulcer. Left upper arm single lumen PICC for vancomycin infusion at home. Left upper abdominal peg tube. Daughter stated that her mom has a decreased appetite, and recent weight loss.
Assess a patient using tools for inpatient and long-term patient care, such as the Lawton IADL Scale. 
Consider whether nutrition and/or hydration might be impacted by the patient’s functional abilities. Reflect on whether the patient is able to go out and get food to eat, cook meals, safely use the stove, etc.
Consider the patient’s diet and whether they have any special dietary needs due to medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, end-stage kidney disease, diabetes, oral health issues, etc. Reflect on whether or not the patient is attempting to compensate for a medical issue and thus creating a deficiency or excess in his or her diet.
Based on your patient assessment, think about strategies for improving any nutrition issues that might have presented (e.g., nutritional supplements, community resources such as Meals on Wheels, referral to a nutritionist or dietician, etc.).