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I was told that I was entitled to the same meal as everyone else. I.e. a regular diet and I am a diabetic.

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IF the doctor has ORDERED a Diabetic Meal Plan for you that is a medical order and it should be followed just as an order is followed for medication.
The first thing to do is to make sure the meal you are getting is NOT part of the Diabetic Meal Plan. If is isn't then you can talk to administration, dietitian and if that goes no where you file a complain with the Ombudsman.
It is possible that ALL the meals are within the acceptable dietary restrictions that follow the Diabetic meals ordered by your doctor.
If your doctor has not specifically ordered a particular meal plan to be followed then they do not "have" to provide it even if you request it.
So double check your doctors orders to be sure this is something that has been ordered
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Many places have gone the direction of giving everybody a low fat, low salt, diabetic diet - easier in the long run. If the meal that you receive is not a diabetic diet, contact the administration - your needs must be net.
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It is possible that you would get the same meal. A meal suitable for a diabetic is not a tasteless meal. As long as the meal conforms to the nutritional guidelines for a diabetic, they can serve it to everyone who wants it, including those without diabetes. Portion size plays a big role in diabetes so a person with diabetes can eat a tiny portion of "forbidden" food and the meal will still conform.

Another example is vegetarian meals and kosher meals on airplanes (when airlines served meals). If you ordered the vegetarian meal or the kosher meal, many times you would get a fresh fruit plate with cheese.

When my mother stayed at a rehab facility 3 years ago, she had a choice of what she wanted for meals. The meal options that were diabetic friendly had a special notation next to it, however it was offered to everyone.

If you think that your diabetic meal does not conform to the dietary guidelines for diabetics and the facility is a licensed facility, take a picture of the meal and get a description of what the meal is. The dietician for the facility, needs to know that you are getting non-diabetic meals when your physician ordered diabetic meals. A facility can lose their license by not adhering to doctor's orders. It is NOT acceptable to expect the patient to know which food conforms and which doesn't.
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GrannyB315: You are entitled to the diabetic diet that your physician ordered.
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no, it is not. you should be on a diabetic diet. they have them, I am sure. and it is not a matter of "you are entitled to the same meal" what imbicile told you that? Call your doctor or talk to head nurse and put in request for diabetic meal. You ARE entitled to have a diabetic meal.
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My doctor ordered my diabetic diet and that's what I got. The hospital always gave me the correct diet and they monitor my liquids according to instructions.
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Cover999 Aug 2022
🙂
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What are your doctor's instructions? Presumably he/she has given some specific instructions regarding your care to the nursing home. It may also be the case that the nursing home's standard meals are designed to be safe for people with mild diabetes?
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No. Even when I was in the hospital for an injury they served me what everyone else was getting. I simply did not eat the bad stuff. I think the mentality in a nursing home is so what you will not live long anyway.
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Cover999 Aug 2022
Interesting. Hospital is supposed to have specific meals for those who need them .
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I don't think it's acceptable, but it's very common. I understand the concept that diabetics need to be able to manage their own diets and choose wisely. But often, when my mother was in rehab for a broken hip, she wasn't given enough healthy options to make those choices from. Meals would feature one protein, and sides were all high-carb, starchy foods, things that are cheap for the facility, popular with the patients, and easy to prepare. Vegetable choices were very limited and not always offered every day. I hate to think what a vegetarian with diabetes would do in one of those places.
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wearynow Aug 2022
My mom is a vegetarian from India and she had to be in rehab after a bout of pneumonia at the local hospital. As you so said rightly said, food was a struggle in the rehab & I visited almost daily to make sure she was not accidentally eating meat (this happened a few times). Her diet chart clearly said diabetic with dementia and daily she was given the same pureed carrots, peas, sweet potatoes for lunch & dinner, with a normal serving of cake, jello pudding etc even though the kitchen staff assured me mom would be given only 1/3 of the normal dessert size. Thankfully mom is not a big eater & barely touched the desserts. She also forgot she was eating the same stuff everyday. I guess this was a blessing?! Anyway, I took dinner almost daily

I did have the option of taking Indian vegetarian meals and putting them in the fridge but this became too much for me with all the driving & other things going on in my life and I took only dinner.
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Speak to your case manager and the nutritionist or dietician at the facility. They should have special low sugar meals for diabetics.
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Cover999 Aug 2022
Lol. Case manager. Dietitian, nutritionist ? Are you kidding?
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Yes.. as a recent retired Nutrition Geriatric Counselor that is true. Education to balance carbs will be taught.. fewer high carb desserts will be provided. Avoiding candy as a snack is a good idea.you should know your diet and choose wisely. Ask for diet education if you are uncertain. Strict old school diabetic diets are unnecessary.. carb balancing is the key..
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MomandBob Aug 2022
The assisted living where my parents are don’t even offer low carb options and definitely not low carb dessert options. Sometimes the protein part of the meal is also high carb. They’ve been there for nearly 3 months now and it’s a constant battle. So frustrating.
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talk to the ombudsman for the facility. generally a diet has to be ordered by an MD, even if the order is for a regular diet.
often the 'diabetic' diet is written as regular diet with no concentrated sweets. fresh fruit but not pudding. diet jello but no ice cream.
Medicare and state regulations apply in nursing homes and skilled rehab facilities, and the ombudsman may be able to approach issue with management so that the direct care staff do not feel attacked.
I know, it shouldn't be about their egos...but nursing homes were so battered by COVID and deaths and bad behaviors on all fronts that a resolution that allows staff to save face may be needed.
The ombudsman can serve as the messenger between you and the facility. Once the correct diet is appearing, just thank the kitchen and food service staff for the wonderful food...without sarcasm. or mentioning the past. No point in alienating the caregivers. venting here is a good place for your complaints and concerns, to start with.
good luck.
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I know when Mom was in the hospital she picked, from a list, what she wanted for each meal. Not sure about her Rehab. But I would think they would have to provide for certain diets.

Not sure if your doctor can order this. May need to be the doctor who is associated with the facility. Talk to the Director of Nursing and explain you need a diabetic diet and could she/he have the doctor order one. If you get resistance, call your Dr. and ask if he could call the DON and order a diabetic diet.

I can't imagine being in Rehab and being given a cup of coffee, orange juice and eggs and told I had to eat/drink what was given. I am not a coffee drinker. OJ upsets my stomach and I don't care for eggs.
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Cover999 Aug 2022
OJ is not suggested to be given to a diabetic person anyway because of the sugar.
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Generally in my experience when FIL has been in rehab there have always been at least two options for each meal. Sometimes there has been an a la carte option as well. He has been in some facilities where even if the doctor ordered it, a diabetic option wasn't available (which HE loved because he didn't want to eat it, but we hated).
BUT as others have mentioned, if one is available your doctor will have to order it.

If not, I'm afraid you will likely have to piece it together from what is available. We tried that with FIL to no avail...if wheat toast was an option he would choose that instead of white...but that was as far as we got...other than that he enjoyed not being restricted.
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If a specific diet is medically required then the doctor must order it.
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Get doc to order diabetic diet. Report to the facility administrator.
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Has your doctor written orders for a diabetic diet?

That's the only way to ensure you get it.

So, you have no meal options whatsoever? I have never heard of a one meal choice only facility, ever.

Get your doctor to write the order.
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Cover999 Aug 2022
You mean NH Doctor
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