How Registered Dietitians Can Prevent Foodborne Illness in Long Term Care Facilities

Stephen F Austin State University, Baker Pattillo Student Center, Student Center Theatre and Twilight Ballroom

The role of a Registered Dietitian (RD) in long-term care facilities (LTCF) is to maintain the nutritional status of their patients by building appropriate diets, advocating for the patient with their doctors, ensuring proper caloric intake, and providing patient education on the relationship between a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle (2022, RD Nutrition Consultants, LLC). Before a RD is able to help ensure proper nutrition for the patient they must the make sure the meal was safely prepared as well as obtained and will not cause any unintentional harm to the patient by causing a foodborne illness. Countless hours of education is incorporated into every undergraduate program to prepare RDs to stop the spread of foodborne illness before it ever has the chance to make it into their facility (Medeiros & Buffer, 2012). People working in LTCFs must be especially diligent due to the increased risk of infection of their patients. Strict prevention measures are taken so both family members and patients can rest assured that they may eat with confidence and safety.