Bernie Eberle is an energetic 82-year-old. Five feet tall, she barely tips the scales at 100 pounds. While not technically frail—frail elderly are typically defined as persons over age 75 with physical or mental conditions that may interfere with the ability to perform activities of daily living independently—Eberle’s age puts her on the brink and as such, she has very specific nutritional requirements to maintain her weight and health.
What is her preferred quick meal or snack? A nutrition-packed Thrive Ice Cream. The octogenarian shares why she reaches for ice cream instead of a sandwich. “There’s nothing to prepare, it’s easy for me to eat, it’s nutritious, and tastes good.”
Thrive Ice Cream was created to provide complete nutrition to seniors, adults, and children in both healthcare and daily living settings. While it is “real” ice cream, Thrive is also a functional nutritional product appropriate as a meal replacement or supplement. A six-ounce serving contains up to nine grams of protein, four grams of fiber, four active probiotics, and 24 vitamins and minerals. Thrive Ice Cream also meets the specific requirements of the frail elderly, with 25 percent of RDI of calcium and 30 percent RDI of Vitamin D. Further boosting its benefits are the fact that Thrive is made from rbST free milk, contains no high fructose corn syrup, and is certified Real Dairy, kosher and gluten free.
The company will be exhibiting—and sampling—its health care and consumer lines of nutritious ice cream at FNCE 2016 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Boston October 14-16. Thrive for healthcare is packaged in six-ounce, single-serve cups, while Thrive for retail is sold in 16-ounce pints. Thrive is available in regular and no sugar added varieties.
Janet McKee, MS, RD, CSG, LD/N, DAPWCA, president of Nutritious Lifestyles, Inc. is an expert in geriatric and adult care nutrition. She said the biggest challenge for dietitians and healthcare providers is finding nutritional foods and meal supplements that appeal to people’s taste buds, deliver comprehensive nutrition and calories, and support compliance with physician or dietitians’ orders. Patients and residents of long-term care and nursing facilities get tired of eating the same products and often consider liquid supplements “medicinal.”
“Involuntary weight loss and malnutrition are of tremendous concern of dietitians and caregivers,” McKee said. “Thrive Ice Cream’s complete nutrition has proven successful in helping patients and residents with wide-ranging medical conditions maintain their weight. This includes dysphagia and stroke; digestive disorders such as Crohns disease, colitis and IBS; C-diff; pressure ulcers and slow healing wounds. Individuals with dementia, cardiac, and pulmonary diseases that correlate with loss of appetite and weight loss may also benefit from Thrive.”
Thanks to the nutritious, enjoyable solution offered by Thrive Ice Cream, achieving and maintaining optimal nutrition among the frail elderly, including those in long-term care facilities or who reside at home, is now easier for dietitians, in-home caregivers and families. The company has a growing network of institutional distributors across the United States for healthcare, plus supermarket chains and military commissaries for the public. Thrive Ice Cream can also be ordered online for home delivery.
To learn more about Thrive or order online, visit our website.