"Finger food menu" restores independence in dining

Linda Jean is a senior nutrition service consultant for Vencor, Inc. She oversees nutrition care in 10 long-term care facilities in Massachusetts, and directly consults for three of them. Four years ago, she piloted a finger food menu for cognitively impaired residents and implemented a successful program that has worked to increase nutrient intake, decrease weight loss, and curtail the amount of high calorie and protein supplements that need to be provided.