How Changes in Nutrition and Feeding Helped One Delmar Center Woman
Albany, NY
How Changes in Nutrition and Feeding Helped One Delmar Center Woman
Schoharie 70-Year-Old Woman Who Had a Progressing Mouth and Skin Fungus Highly Benefited From Nutrition Care
Jeff Jacomowitz, Community Contributor
Posted Fri, May 3, 2024 at 12:48 pm ET| Updated Fri, May 3, 2024 at 3:37 pm ET|
Delmar Center resident Kathleen Brisley enjoying a moment in March with the facility’s nutritionist Emily Williams during National Nutrition Month (Courtesy of Delmar Center)
The past six months for the ever so high-spirited Ms. Kathleen Brisley of Schoharie haven’t been an easy one for this 70-year-old. In late 2023, Ms. Brisley was taken to Albany Medical Center to treat a brain bleed called Nontraumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrahage or SAH. This is where bleeding occurs within the subarachnoid space, which is between the brain’s pia mater and arachnoid. Most of the time, SAH are spontaneous and are caused by a ruptured aneurysm. This can happen at any age but is most common for those between the ages of 40 and 60, happening in 70 percent of women. Kathleen also deals with cardiac issues and has high cholesterol.
Those are her primary medical issues, but Ms. Brisley also had to deal with a secondary issue called Tinea Corporis, a skin fungus that unfortunately spread to her mouth, most visibly on her tongue. In early January, Kathleen was transferred to Delmar Center for rehabilitation and long-term care. This where the facility’s Director of Nutrition Emily Williams stepped in to help Ms. Brisley with her feeding due to what was happening in her mouth. According to Williams, Kathleen upon arriving to Delmar Center, was an NPO patient at the time, which stands for “nothing by mouth” and needed to be on a feeding tube due to that fungus. Williams’ game plan was a gradual move to an oral healthy diet while being treated for Tinea Corporis. The plan worked and the goal of being on an oral diet was met at 100 percent.
“Kathleen was doing OK but was weak of being very low on fluids and had the build-up on her tongue,” said Williams. “With her primary heart and brain issues, the healthy diet is also working in these areas. Kathleen is a perfect example of how being on a healthy diet is a full-body treatment if you will.”
Today, thanks to Emily’s game plan, Kathleen is free from that fungus issue and is oral eating is fully restored. Yes, her primary health issues are being managed but now she is stronger to fight and deal with them at a top level.
https://patch.com/new-york/albany-ny/how-changes-nutrition-feeding-helped-one-delmar-center-woman
