Covid-Friendly Holiday Planning for CKD Patients

  1. Dr.Schär Institute
  2. Dr. Schär Institute
  3. Covid-Friendly Holiday Planning for CKD Patients

The holiday season is a time to spend with family and loved ones, but this year, due to COVID-19, extra planning and precaution are necessary. During any holiday mealtime, CKD patients face many decisions on what they can enjoy due to their need to monitor sodium, potassium, phosphorous and protein intake.

This year, anxieties around maintaining health precautions are top of mind for patients and add complexity to what can already be a stressful time of year for patients on CKD-specific diets. Use these tips to offer patients guidance and support to develop a plan that keeps them healthy and safe this holiday season.

Gather the Details

Ask patients about their travel and social plans for this holiday season. Talk through the details of why they made these plans and how they are feeling about the upcoming weeks. The more you know about the kinds of social situations they will find themselves in, the better you can develop a personalized plan that promotes dietary adherence and quality of life.

Some questions to ask:

  • Will you be travelling this holiday season? If so, what mode of transit will you use?
  • Are you hosting friends and family? If so, for how long?
  • Alternatively, are you planning to stay at home and enjoy a quiet holiday to yourself? If so, will any immediate family, like a spouse or child be with you?

A balanced, nutritious diet for CKD will emphasize whole grains, vegetables, and fruits and minimize convenient, ready-made foods, so encourage patients to start planning snacks and recipes well in advance. For example, if a patient is driving (instead of flying), plan out some road-trip friendly snacks they can take with them or identify a few restaurants along their route that will have kidney-friendly menu items. If they normally cook snacks and meals in a kitchen filled with friends and family, discuss preparing food ahead of time so they can avoid spending time in a crowded, enclosed space.

 

Develop a Plan for Mealtime

This year, when gathering with friends and family patients now also need to be concerned about COVID-19 exposure, especially because CKD patients, and the elderly in particular, are at increased risk for contracting serious illness from the COVID-19 virus [1]. For many, that may unfortunately mean the need to eat in a separate room from other family members or that the whole group must dine outside or on a ventilated porch. Encourage patients to start a conversation with friends and family about who will eat where and what plans need to be made to ensure a safe environment for everyone.

Discuss more than just the logistics of dining and socializing. Talk with patients about how they anticipate feeling when they sit down at a separate table from family or cannot spend time lingering in the kitchen during preparations. Suggest scheduling a family walk outside so they can still enjoy quality social time. The thought of distancing from loved-ones can be overwhelming, especially after what has already been a lonely year for many, so emphasize how necessary this is for their health.   

 

Keep it Celebratory

Feelings of isolation, anxiety and confusion are to be expected and are completely normal during these unprecedented times. Despite planning and research, surprises will pop up and last-minute changes may need to be made. Remember, the emotional support and affirmation you provide are vital to patient success and can be just as important as nutritional information in ensuring dietary compliance. Keep a positive outlook and encourage patients to recognize the uniqueness of these times. While celebrations will look different this year, we can help patients keep them healthy, safe and joy-filled.

References

  1. COVID-19: Kidney disease. (2020, October 30). Retrieved November 12, 2020, from https://www.kidney.org/coronavirus/kidney-disease-covid-19