Do all LTC's chart the meals on the MAR's?

[Blackcat99]

I have just now returned back to LTC. I noticed that all of my patients have a place on the MAR to chart the percentage of meals they consumed at breakfast lunch and dinner. Is this now done at all LTC facilities? That's about the only thing I have noticed so far that has changed in the past 3 years since I have been gone from LTC. Thanks

[Spring_Peeper]

In my facility (in NH) the LNAs chart meal intake and BMs electronically. They are the ones that pick up meal trays and toilet people, after all. Sorry to hear you have redundant tasks at your place.

[txredheadnurse, BSN, RN]

In the perfect world someone would design the electronic charting to notify a nurse with a warning screen or something whenever parameters have been exceeded such as 3 days with no BM, less than 50% intake after 24 hours, etc. Any informatics nurses out there?

(Of course even with my "genius" electronic charting the aides would still need to collect and enter the data correctly.)

[Anne36, LPN]

Yes, sometimes we do have resdients who have a FAR in the MAR. The only problem I have with this is that I am probably not going to see what they eat at meals. I might not even get the CNA to tell me that much if their tray is taken away before they see it. Why is dietary not keeping track of meals?

Blackcat, I have also just gotten off of orientation and have had the same problem. Last night I made sure to thank my CNA and let them how much the vital signs mean to me, because they actually did them! Im thrilled when they write down BM's and give me VS.

[Vinniesguy]

BM's were recorded every day on a seperate chart where I used to work. The night RN would go through them and flag anyone who hadn't had a BM for 3 days.

Never had to record how much a person had eaten - not on a med chart anyway - if anyone had noticeably begun to eat less or lose weight then their intake would be monitored and recorded on a seperate chart. Having said that, anyone on supplements had them on the med chart.