Medications and Dietary Counseling

Patients with advanced illness frequently require intensive medication management of both chronic conditions and symptoms associated with end-stage disease such as pain, dyspnea, nausea, delirium, and depression. Admission to hospice care presents a valuable opportunity to reassess a patient’s medication therapies and determine the treatments that are most likely to be beneficial or least likely to be harmful at the end of life. Hypothetically, hospice represents a transition point when chronic medications least likely to be helpful could be significantly reduced and replaced with effective alternatives.

The registered dietitian plans, organizes and conducts dietetic education for nursing personnel and other personnel. They function as a member of the interdisciplinary group with expertise in nutritional care intended to address the nutritional needs of the patient in accordance of the plan of care.