NFMNT Chapter 8 Interview Clients for Nutrition-Related Information

1. Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical
Nutrition Therapy
Interview Clients for Nutrition-
Related Information
Corresponds with
LEARNING PLAN 8
Copyright 2016 Association of Nutrition and Foodservice
Professionals

2. Objectives
 Identify different types of clients
 Plan and ask appropriate questions of clients
 Gather information from client and/or family member(s)
 Identify significant information and problems
 Recognize nonverbal responses and communication
cues
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8

3. Objectives
 Record information systematically and carefully
 Utilize ethical and confidentiality principles and practices
 Gather client information from other interdisciplinary team
members
 Address food customs and nutritional needs of various
racial, cultural, and religious groups
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8

4. Clients Include
 Hospital patients
 Long-term care residents
 School children
 Corrections clients
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information •
Learning Plan 8
 Facility staff
 Community members
 Family members
 Anyone to whom you have
served a meal

5. Successful Interviewing Starts With
Good Communication
 Prepare for the communication
 Conduct the interview
 Receive the message
 Evaluate the effectiveness of your communication
 Overcome communication barriers
» Use words clients understand
» Make sure room is quiet (e.g. ask to mute TV)
» Take time to deliver the message effectively
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8

6. Brain Break
 What are some questions
you could ask to demonstrate
that you believe the client
you are interviewing is
important to you?
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8
» Ask how they are feeling
» Ask about their family, if
appropriate
» Compliment them on their
dress or how the room is
decorated if in their room
» Demonstrate that you have the
time to take with them
» Look at them when they are
responding to your questions

7. Types of Communication
 Written
» Communicating thoughts, messages or information by writing
 Verbal
» Communicating thoughts, messages or information by
speaking
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8

8. Types of Communication
 Non-verbal
» Facial expressions
» Eye contact
» Gestures
» Physical contact
» Distance
» Posture
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8

9. Interviews for Nutrition Information
 Utilize your facility’s protocol
 Diet history
» Assessment tool of client’s food intake patterns
- Describes actual intake
- Gives information about why the client makes certain food choices
- Review of factors that impact nutrition
» Important step in the nutrition screening process
» May be accomplished electronically
» May require assistance of family members to acquire all
pertinent data to complete the diet history
» Client observation is helpful in gathering data
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8

10. Additional Client Information
 Gather additional information from other IDT members
» Director of Nursing or Charge Nurse
» Registered Dietitian
» Occupational or Speech Therapist
» Social worker
 Solid working relationships are essential
» Mutual respect
» Professional interaction
» Client confidentiality (HIPAA)
» Timely documentation in the client’s medical record
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8

11. Brain Break
 How can you obtain data necessary to complete a
thorough diet history if your newly admitted client is
unable to speak and there are no family members
available to assist in gathering data?
» Check the medical record, use written materials and photos
where the client can point, use food models.
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8

12. Interviewing for Cultural Heritage
 Recognize that food is an important part of culture
» When asking about their favorite foods, ask “why is that food
important to you?”
» Ask about foods associated with holidays and special events
 Explore what cultural backgrounds are indicative to your
area
 Review Figure 8.5 to identify common foods of various
cultures
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8

13. Brain Break
 If the cultural background of many of your clients is Latino
or Hispanic, what grain products might be important to
serve with meals?
» Tortillas
» Rice
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8

14. Interviewing for Religious Practices
 Ask if the client observes any religious food laws
» Kosher or Jewish dietary laws ban pig and pork products
- Also excludes wild chickens and turkey; excludes shellfish,
crustaceans, and fish-like mammals (e.g. frogs)
- Meat and meat products may not be cooked or served with dairy
products
» Islam excludes pork and birds of prey as well as alcohol,
coffee, tea
» Seventh-Day Adventists exclude pork and most meat and
fish; low-fat dairy products and eggs are allowed
 Ask if the client observes fasting or other religious
practices relating to nutrition
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8

15. Interviewing for Regional Trends or
Social and Emotional Meanings
 Different regions of our vast country are known for their
native cultures and foods; research what the regional
culinary trends are in your area
 Food is often a social event and can make a meal more
enjoyable
 Food can also have a medicinal value
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8

16. Brain Break
 When preparing food for a
Jewish client, how should the
following menu items be
adjusted?
» Clam Chowder
» Chicken a la King
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8
» Offer a vegetable soup in
place of the Clam Chowder
» Prepare the Chicken a la King
with chicken broth and no
dairy product or serve the
chicken plain
» Milk to drink may not be
served with a meal containing
meat

17. Supplementing the Diet History
 Seek out additional client information regarding diet from
other IDT members
 Document the diet history information carefully
» Follow facility procedures for documentation
» Create a note in the medical record
» Create paper and/or electronic food preference information to
assist the foodservice staff
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy • Interview Clients for Nutrition Related Information • Learning Plan 8