Palatable Puree: Improving weight status and quality of life among older persons needing dysphagic food products

People with swallowing disorders must eat pureed or minced texture foods to eat safely. However, the process of pureeing or mincing greatly reduces the food’s appeal, often degrades its nutritional quality and can lead to undernutrition. New reformed modified-texture food products have been developed specifically for people with swallowing disorders. These foods are not only safe and easy to swallow like conventional modified foods but also, the production process maintains flavour and nutritional quality, and reforms the food to look very much like the pork chop or pineapple slice from which it was made. Approximately 30% of the 76,000 residents in Ontario’s 622 long-term care homes receive pureed or minced texture foods. The use of reformed modified-texture foods in continuing care organizations is therefore a potential way in which to make a positive impact on the health of a large population of older persons, if food intake is improved due to greater appeal. The purpose of this study is to determine if patients/residents of Bruyère Continuing Care, a facility offering both complex continuing care and chronic care in Ottawa, Ontario, experience improved food intake and weight maintenance or gain, and improved food satisfaction, after six months of eating reformed modified-textured foods instead of the usual pureed and minced texture foods. The results of this study will provide valuable clinical data to the manufactures of reformed modified texture foods which will help them in pursuing further business opportunities in marketing their reformed modified textured food products.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Larry Chambers

Student:

Deborah Smith

Partner:

Bruyère Continuing Care

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

University of Ottawa