Nutrition risk factors in a home health population

This cross-sectional study focused on three related questions: (1) What is the prevalence of nutrition-related risk factors among home health care clients? (2) What is the relationship between nutrition-related risk factors and client demographic characteristics? (3) How does the assessment of nutritional status by home health nurses compare with a standardized screening method? One hundred-twenty completed questionnaires, modified from the Nutrition Screening Initiative's "DETERMINE Your Nutritional Health" assessment form, were administered by home health nurses to their clients during a one-week period. Results indicated a high prevalence of nutritional risk factors including the need for meal preparation assistance (71%), shopping difficulties (66%), special diet (55%), and regular meals alone (39%). The number of medical diagnoses was associated with several risk factors. Nurses, when asked to assess their clients, were able to discern a client's nutritional risk relative to others but tended to underestimate the degree of risk. Routine nutrition screening, further training of home health providers and access to dietitians for consultation could minimize poor nutritional status as a complicating factor in the treatment of home care clients.