March 2020 Independent Eating and Drinking Newsletter
| Independent Eating and Drinking are Wonderful |
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Mealtime Partners will continue to conduct business as usual and if you have questions or need help please feel free to call us. The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has drawn everyone’s attention to having clean hands, not touching our faces, etc. However, Mealtime Partners products are, by their nature, items that come in direct contact with users. In most circumstances only one person uses either our dining system or one of our drinking systems. Only in rare circumstances is a dining system used by multiple people. The facilities where this occurs have health procedures in place that were established when they installed the dining device. Because it is important that our customers maintain themselves in the best health possible, it is important that they stay well hydrated and nourished and that they continue using the equipment that they have. In many cases individuals use both a Mealtime Partners dining system and a drinking system. All of these systems can be cleaned easily but to provide a little reassurance we will describe cleaning processes for the equipment.
The Mealtime Partner Dining System: The bowls, bowl covers and spoon used at mealtimes on the dining system can be cleaned like any other dishes used at meals. They can be washed in a dishwasher, including commercial dishwashers, or can be hand washed using the normal process recommended by local health departments in food handling classes.
Hand Washing Dishes: First, scrape all excess food off of the dishes, next, wearing dishwashing-gloves to protect your hands from the hot water, wash the dishes in a solution of detergent and very hot water. This will clean the visible dirt off of the dishes. The following step is to rinse the soapy water off of the dishes in very hot sanitizing solution. This can be a commercial sanitizer, or a bleach solution. This step kills any bacteria that might remain on the dishes. Finally, rinse the dishes in very hot clean water and allow them to air dry. Do not dry them using a cloth.
Wipe the exterior of the Mealtime Partner with a cloth that has been rinsed in a solution of bleach and water and rung out. Do not spray the exterior with a cleaner.
Drinking Systems: All of Mealtime Partners drinking systems should be hand washed in the manner described above, with one caveat – the water temperature for washing the parts of the hydration backpack should be hot, not very hot! All components can be soaked in a mild solution of bleach and water (1 tablespoon per gallon of water).
| A Hands-Free Drinking System to Meet Everyone's Needs | |
A hands-free drinking system can enable everyone with the ability to create suction, to drink independently throughout the day. Mealtime Partners, Inc. has several different types of hands-free drinking systems to choose from: the Hydration Backpack with Drinking Tube Positioning; the Front Mounted Drinking System; and the Drink-Partner. They can all be easily attached to a bed or wheelchair and can be positioned to meet the individual user’s need. |
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| Hydration Backpack with Drinking Tube Positioning (i.e., for Manual Wheelchairs) | Hydration Backpack with Drink Tube Positioning for Slide Track |
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| Front Mounted Drinking System for Wheelchairs with Slide Track | Front Mounted Drinking System for Manual Wheelchairs |
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| Drink-Partner Mounted on a Wheelchair Handle | Drink-Partner for Slide-Track |
| To view all of the Mealtime Partners drinking products, click here. Remember Mealtime Partners drinking products can be attached to powered wheelchairs with slide-tracks, manual wheelchairs with handles and/or tubular frames, or hospital beds with plastic or metal bed rails. For additional guidance about how to select the appropriate drinking system for your specific needs, click here. | |
The Importance of Having a Healthy Mouth
Until quite recently people saw a doctor for health issues and a dentist to care for their teeth and gums. It was most unlikely that the two types of doctors would interact about a patient. However, today it is being recognized that the mouth is the “gateway” to your body’s health. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has selected oral health as one of their 12 leading health indicators for their Healthy People 2020 Initiative. They are providing new funding to facilitate oral disease prevention.
To understand the importance of mouth health, it should be understood that the mouth and saliva contain bacteria. Most of the bacteria are harmless, but unless the mouth and teeth are kept clean by brushing and flossing, the acid level in saliva can increase and can impact the overall health of the mouth. Additionally plaque will build up on teeth. Without healthy teeth and gums, the bacteria that are ever present in the mouth can migrate into the body’s blood stream through bleeding gums or tooth cavities. They can cause a wide range of health problems including heart disease, arthritis and diabetes.
Endocarditis is an infection of the inner lining of the heart and is caused by bacteria spreading to the heart from other parts of the body, including the mouth. Some researchers believe that cardiovascular disease, clogged arteries and strokes may also be linked to these types of infections.
Certain medications including decongestants, antihistamines, painkillers and diuretics contribute to having a dry mouth. The reduction of saliva contributes to both the concentration level of acid in the mouth and the amount of bacteria that remains in the mouth. With the normal production of saliva, the acid concentration is lower and food particles and bacteria are flushed away as we swallow saliva.
If gums become infected and inflamed, they allow infection to become established in the area of the mouth and gums and the infection can spread throughout the body if the problem is not treated. Therefore, your dentist’s care is an extremely important part of maintaining your overall health. Not only does dental health improve your overall health but it reduces the likelihood of oral pain, cavities, tooth loss, gum disease and a variety of other problems. For individuals who are unable to maintain their own oral care, it is sometimes overlooked as a priority and not provided as regularly, or as thoroughly as it should be. This neglect can lead to oral health problems.
Specific steps can contribute to maintaining oral health including: regular dental checkups, brushing and flossing regularly, eating a healthy diet, and drinking water regularly throughout the day. If teeth cannot be brushed, a drink of water can be used as a mouth rinse and will help to wash away food particles. For those who are unable to hold or lift a cup to take a drink, a Mealtime Partners hands-free drinking system should be mounted to their wheelchair or bed to make water available at all times.
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Did you know? Did you know that milk that is made from plants like almond, coconut, or rice milk is not appropriate as a sole source of food for infants. In many cases, infants who are not breast fed have difficulties with allergic reactions, or problems with digestion, with some infant formulas. To remove the offending product from the infant’s diet is fitting, however, replacing it solely with a plant based milk, not specifically developed for feeding infants, is unwise. Babies should ingest at least 50 milligrams of vitamin C every day, which will be received through their mother’s milk if they are breast fed. If they exclusively drink plant based milk for an extended time, they may not intake enough vitamin C. The result of this shortage can be scurvy. Scurvy in infants causes a decrease in appetite, poor weight gain, diarrhea, high temperature and pain in their legs. If left untreated, bones may fracture. Sailors used to develop scurvy after months at sea without foods that provided vitamin C. Once it was understood, ships stocked barrels of citrus fruit for long journeys and scurvy was no longer a problem. |