Paper
Wednesday, 19 July 2006
Targeting the Nutrition Needs of Vulnerable Hispanic Nursing Home Residents
Bronwynne Evans, PhD, RN, CNS, College of Nursing, Arizona State Unversity, Tempe, AZ, USA and Neva L. Crogan, PhD, APRN, BC, College of Nursing, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
| Learning Objective #1: Discuss the implications of family support in nutrition care of Hispanic nursing home residents. |
| Learning Objective #2: Compare and contrast results in measurement of cognitive status, depression, quality of life, and serum protein levels in Hispanic and non-Hispanic nursing home residents. |
There are over 35 million Hispanics in the U.S., an increase of almost 60% since 1990 (Bureau of the Census, 2000). The over-65 cohort will grow faster than that of any other racial or ethnic group (increasing 328% from 1999-2030), tripling to 13 million by 2050 (U.S. DHHS, 2003; Angel & Hogan, 1994). By 2030, one-quarter of the Hispanic population will be 80 or over, when the risk of disability increases dramatically (Espino, et al., 2001). At least 4.5 million will require nursing home care because of disability due to dementia and chronic disease (Markides, Rudkin, Angel, & Espino, 1997). Despite the significance of nutrition’s role in elder health (Institute of Medicine, 2000), malnutrition has not been studied in controlled empirical investigations for Hispanic nursing home residents. Both the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute for Nursing Research, however, note that malnutrition is of concern in this vulnerable group. Unfortunately, nursing literature offers only one study that even briefly discusses nutrition for such residents. The purpose of this paper is to begin to build a scientific base in this understudied area. The results of the following analyses and implications for practice will be presented at the session:
(1) A 60-minute focus group of three family members and one resident, ranging in age from 38-late 70s, explored family nutrition support and confirmed an urgent need for attention to the family role in nutrition care. (2) Measures of cognitive status (MMSE), depression (GDS), quality of life (QOL-AD), and serum protein levels (pre-albumin) were compared and contrasted in Hispanic (N = 7) and non-Hispanic (N = 73) residents. Descriptive analyses of each variable were compiled for both groups. The resultant mean scores and standard deviations for each variable were obtained and two-tailed independent t-tests for equality of means were calculated.
See more of Healthcare Disparities
See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)