Which intervention would best address the nursing diagnosis of Imbalanced nutrition for elderly patients in stages 2 to 3 of Alzheimer's disease?
a. Monitor the frequency and characteristics of bowel movements.
b. Offer finger foods the patient can take away from the table.
c. Monitor intake and output, and take patient weights each week.
d. Provide protein-dense foods to provide for neurological regrowth.
B
Persons in stages 2 and 3 of Alzheimer's are prone to distractibility and wandering, so providing finger foods that they can eat away from the table is likely to increase the amount of nutrients they consume. Bowel movements are not a reliable indicator of nutritional status. Elderly people with Alzheimer's may forget to eat and often have very erratic intakes, putting them at risk for dehydration, which is best monitored via daily weights, since hydration can change so quickly in an elderly, confused person. Nutrient-dense foods would be desirable, but protein-dense foods would not present a balanced diet; furthermore, treatments at this time do not result in neuroregeneration.
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