Florida Senate - 2015                             (NP)    SR 550
       
       
        
       By Senator Joyner
       
       
       
       
       
       19-00905-15                                            2015550__
    1                          Senate Resolution                        
    2         A resolution celebrating the benefits of routine
    3         nutritional screening and therapeutic nutritional
    4         intervention, and recognizing September 28 to October
    5         2, 2015, as “Malnutrition Awareness Week” in Florida.
    6  
    7         WHEREAS, leading health and nutrition experts agree that
    8  nutritional status is a direct measure of patient health, and
    9  that good nutrition and good health allow older adults and other
   10  vulnerable individuals to continue to live in the community,
   11  avoiding the need for institutionalization in a health care
   12  facility and reducing health care costs, and
   13         WHEREAS, inadequate or unbalanced nutrition, known as
   14  malnutrition, is not routinely viewed as a medical concern in
   15  the United States, although it is particularly prevalent in
   16  vulnerable individuals, such as older adults, hospitalized
   17  patients, and minority populations, who statistically have the
   18  highest incidence of the most severe chronic illnesses, such as
   19  diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease, and
   20         WHEREAS, illness, injury, and malnutrition can result in
   21  the loss of lean body mass, which leads to complications that
   22  impact patient health outcomes, including longer recovery from
   23  surgery, illness, or disease, and
   24         WHEREAS, the elderly lose lean body mass more quickly and
   25  to a greater extent than younger adults, and weight assessment
   26  that takes into account body weight and body mass index may
   27  overlook indicators of lean body mass loss, and
   28         WHEREAS, the American Nursing Association defines
   29  therapeutic nutrition as the administration of food and fluids
   30  to support the metabolic processes of a patient who is
   31  malnourished or at high risk of becoming malnourished, and
   32         WHEREAS, despite the recognized link between good nutrition
   33  and good health, nutritional screening and therapeutic nutrition
   34  treatment have not been incorporated as routine medical
   35  treatments across the spectrum of health care, and
   36         WHEREAS, access to therapeutic nutrition is essential to
   37  restoring lean body mass, resolving malnutrition challenges,
   38  improving clinical outcomes, reducing health care costs, and
   39  promoting good health, NOW, THEREFORE,
   40  
   41  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
   42  
   43         That September 28 to October 2, 2015, is recognized as
   44  “Malnutrition Awareness Week” in Florida.