New Jersey Certified Homemaker-Home Health Aide (CHHA) · Master Personal Care Skills
Feeding and Hydration
On this page 6 sections
In 30 seconds
Food and drink enter the body through the upper gastrointestinal system, which is the mouth, throat, and stomach, and any trouble there shows up quickly at mealtime. What a body needs from food changes across the lifespan, and illness, money, mood, loneliness, and missing teeth can all affect how well a client eats. Some clients follow a therapeutic diet ordered by the care team, and some get nutrition in other ways, such as a feeding tube the nurse manages. In the home the CHHA prepares and serves food safely and reports changes in appetite, swallowing, or digestion to the nurse.
Why this matters
Eating and drinking well keeps clients strong, and the CHHA is often the person who sees how meals are going.
The college version
In normal terms
- The upper gastrointestinal system takes food from the mouth to the stomach, and needs change over a lifetime and with illness, mood, and money.
- Therapeutic diets are special eating plans ordered by the care team, followed exactly as written in the plan of care.
- Some clients get nutrition through a tube or other special source, and the nurse directs what the CHHA may do.
- The CHHA keeps food safe at home and reports any change in eating, drinking, or digestion.
Concepts in this outline
- Upper gastrointestinal system. — The mouth, throat, and stomach, where food is chewed, swallowed, and first broken down.
- Nutrition across the lifespan. — The way the amount and kind of food and fluid a person needs changes from infancy through old age.
- Factors affecting nutrition. — Illness, mood, loneliness, money, dental problems, and other things that can make a client eat or drink less well.
- Therapeutic diets. — Special eating plans ordered by the care team as part of treatment and followed exactly by the CHHA.
- Alternative nutrition sources. — Ways of getting nutrition other than regular eating, such as feeding tubes or liquid supplements, handled as the nurse directs.
- Gastrointestinal changes to report to a nurse. — Eating or drinking less, trouble swallowing, choking, stomach upset, or weight change, written down and reported.
- Food considerations in home care. — Safe storing, preparing, and serving of food in the client's own kitchen, including hand washing, checking dates, and keeping food cold.
Eli explains
The same idea, in plain words
Explain it like I’m 10
Think about packing a lunchbox for a little brother's day at the park. The lunch has to be the right food for that kid. It has to be packed safely so it does not spoil. It has to be easy to open and eat. Feeding a client is a lot like that, with the CHHA doing the packing.
Food goes into the body through the upper gastrointestinal system. That is the mouth, the throat, and the stomach. If any of those parts has trouble, eating gets hard. Sore gums, missing teeth, or trouble swallowing can make a client eat less.
Nutrition across the lifespan means the right lunchbox changes as a person gets older. A baby, a teenager, a grown-up, and an older adult all need different amounts and kinds of food. Many older clients need less food overall but still need plenty of protein, vitamins, and water. Older bodies often do not feel thirsty, so the CHHA offers drinks often.
Factors affecting nutrition are all the things that can make eating harder. Illness can take away appetite. Feeling sad or lonely can make food seem not worth the trouble. Not having enough money can mean an empty refrigerator. The CHHA notices these things and tells the nurse.
Some clients have a therapeutic diet. That is a special eating plan ordered by the care team, like low salt or soft foods. The plan of care, the nurse's written list of what the CHHA does for this client, spells it out. The CHHA follows it exactly, even when the client asks for something else. Other clients get alternative nutrition sources. That means nutrition that does not come through regular eating, such as a feeding tube or special liquid drinks. The nurse handles the tube and tells the CHHA exactly what to do and not do.
The CHHA also watches for gastrointestinal changes to report to a nurse. Eating much less than usual, trouble swallowing, choking, an upset stomach, or clothes getting looser all count. The CHHA writes them down and reports them. Finally, food considerations in home care are about keeping food safe in a real kitchen. That includes washing hands, checking dates, and keeping cold food cold. It also means setting the plate where the client can reach it. A safe, kind mealtime is the lunchbox packed right.
Worked example
Kevin comes to Mrs. Moreau's house at lunchtime and reads the low-salt therapeutic diet in her plan of care before he opens the refrigerator. He throws out a container of soup that is past its date, washes his hands, and makes her a plate of soft, unsalted food. He sets the plate and a glass of water where she can reach them and sits nearby so she can talk while she eats.
For the third day in a row, Mrs. Moreau eats only a few bites and says she is not hungry. Kevin does not push her, but he does not brush it off either. He writes down what she ate and drank, notes that she seemed quiet and low, and reports it to the nurse that afternoon.
Study tools & related lessonsRelated
Educational content only. It is not medical, legal or professional advice. Found an error? Tell us.