Case study: positive outcomes of individualized nutritional supplementation

The nourishment of Mrs. B, who could no longer consume enough food value from three meals a day and blended supplements, posed an ethical dilemma. Family and caregivers struggled with the fact that, while honoring the resident's rights about what and how much she chose to eat, Mrs. B. would have continued to lose weight and experience further compromise of her health. In addition, the cost of the nutritionally dense supplement placed a financial burden on the facility. Current ministry funding programs do not fund supplements for individuals like Mrs. B., who can still consume all or a portion of their meals per day, but are unable to.