Dietetics

MSWA Dietetic Services include:

Our specialist neurology dietitians can be accessed within the home, at any of our MSWA facilities or via telehealth (virtual appointments). Our dietitians can assist Clients with a range of nutrition-related issues including but not limited to:

• Gut & bowel health: Advice and support related to gastrointestinal symptoms including pain/discomfort with bloating, flatulence, changes to bowl movements (loose stools or constipation) or difficulty passing stools, which commonly affect people with neurological conditions.
• Symptoms impacting nutrition: This could include fatigue, tremors, reflux, nausea, vomiting, early satiety (feeling full quickly) and healthy eating for allergies or intolerances to food. Our dietitians can provide advice and support to help improve nutritional intake around these symptoms. This may include working with occupational therapy to identify adaptive kitchen or feeding equipment.
• Weight changes: Unintentional changes in weight (which can be weight gain or loss) can affect strength, mobility, mood and can impact other aspects of daily living such as the fit of a Client’s wheelchair and increased risk of pressure injuries.
• Swallowing changes: If you require texture-modified foods and/or beverages to support safe swallowing, our dietitians work together with speech pathologists to ensure you can make the most of your nutrition to meet your needs and preferences.
• Difficulty accessing, preparing or eating food: Physical, environmental and behavioural issues can impact our Clients nutrition, including restrictive intake, food aversions, inability to prepare meals, low mobility and strength and poor access to food. Our dietitians work collaboratively with our Clients, their families and Allied Health Team to help support overcoming these challenges and ensure good nutritional intake. This may include NDIS applications to fund support within the kitchen, or co-fund appropriate meal-providers such as Lite n Easy.
• Supplements: If clinically indicated, some Clients may benefit from oral nutrition supplements, which our dietitians can prescribe and apply to be funded through a Client’s NDIS plan if appropriate.
• PEG or RIG management: Our dietitians provide specialist advice and support for the care and management of gastrostomy or jejunostomy tubes. This can include recommendations for appropriate formula and coordination of care with specialised staff and nursing if needed.
• Wound management: Our dietitians work collaboratively with nursing to ensure nutrition advice supports optimal wound healing and skin integrity. There are key nutrients to consider if pressure injuries or chronic wounds are of concern.
• Strength building: Alongside physiotherapy, nutrition is important to help optimise muscle mass, strength and mobility. This can help our Clients improve their independence, immunity and general health and wellbeing.
• Chronic disease management: Some Clients may also face comorbidities including diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease and high output stoma (e.g., colostomy or ileostomy). Our dietitians can provide education and support to help optimise our Clients’ nutrition and wellbeing.
• General healthy eating: Our dietitians can also help with generalised healthy eating advice to best support our Clients’ gut health and long-term health and wellbeing, as related to their neurological condition.