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Terryn Choat - Dietitian - Older Adult & Aged Residential Care

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Name
Terryn Choat - Dietitian - Older Adult & Aged Residential Care
Category
Meals & nutrition
Address
Auckland
Region
Auckland
Phone
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Owner
Terryn Choat - 0273333930
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Dietitian Specialising in Older Adult Nutrition | Aged Residential Care facilities and Private Hospitals | Older Adults living independently | New Zealand Registered Dietitian (NZRD)

I am a New Zealand Registered Dietitian with nearly a decade of experience in aged residential care and working with older adults. I specialise in meeting the nutritional needs of older adults, enhancing their quality of life through tailored dietary care.

Passionate about improving the health and well-being of older adults, I use evidence-based nutrition to provide customised, practical, and outcome-focused recommendations.

Expert dietary guidance can enhance overall well-being, support mobility, and promote a higher quality of life. A balanced diet tailored to individual needs helps seniors stay active, reduce hospital visits, and maintain their independence for longer.
Service Description
Service Description
How Terryn can help:
-Nutritional assessments and tailored dietary interventions
-Monitoring and evaluating progress
-Implementing “Food First” strategies
-Prescribing Oral Nutrition Supplements
-Applying for special authority numbers
-Support to access meal and food services that meet individual food tastes, dietary needs and abilities
-IDDSI or support with texture modified foods
-Collaborating with chefs and kitchen staff
-Staff education
-Care team collaboration
-Support with menu development
-Menu audits

Updated: 24 Mar 2025

Suburbs/Districts/Towns Serviced
Suburbs/Districts/Towns Serviced
At home consultations within the Auckland Region.

Virtual consultations New Zealand wide.

Clinic appointments within the Auckland Region on request.

Updated: 24 Mar 2025

Meeting the needs of older people
Meeting the needs of older people
Terryn has nearly eight years of experience working with some of New Zealand's largest aged residential care providers in the Auckland region and over 12 years of clinical experience in both public and private practice.

Engaging a dietitian will provide several benefits:
-Improved health outcomes through better nutrition and disease management
-Reduced risk of malnutrition and related complications
-Enhanced meal satisfaction
-Improved overall quality of life
-Support independence

Engaging a dietitian who specialises in aged residential care will provide several benefits:
-Improved health outcomes through better nutrition and disease management.
-Reduced risk of malnutrition and related complications.
-Enhanced meal satisfaction and overall quality of life for residents.
-Increased staff knowledge and confidence in providing nutritional care.
-Compliance with regulatory requirements and industry best practices, such as 2 yearly menu audits
-Support in the development of policy and systems for assessing, monitoring and managing malnutrition
-Support in the development of policy and guidelines for managing residents who have diabetes, are overweight or underweight or who need texture modified diets.

Updated: 27 Mar 2025

Access
Access
Access Status Details
A mobile service Yes At home consultations within the Auckland Region. Virtual consultations New Zealand wide. Clinic appointments within the Auckland Region on request.

Updated: 24 Mar 2025

Payment
Payment
Payment Status Details
Payment required Yes

Updated: 24 Mar 2025

Languages Spoken
Languages Spoken
Language Status Details
English Yes

Updated: 24 Mar 2025

Description
Description
**Why Engage an Older Adult Specialist Dietitian?

Nutrition and physical activity are vital for healthy aging. A well-balanced diet, combined with regular exercise, supports many age-related health concerns, empowering older adults to maintain their independence and enjoy a high quality of life.​

Proper nutrition is essential for preserving strength, mobility, and cognitive function—key elements that enable older adults to perform daily tasks independently and confidently.​

As we age, a decline in nutrient and calorie intake often occurs due to various factors, including physical or cognitive challenges that make food preparation and eating more difficult or less appealing. Personalized dietary support is crucial in preventing unintended weight loss, ensuring proper nutrition, and enhancing overall well-being.​

Dietitians play a pivotal role in managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease by providing tailored dietary strategies that support long-term health.​

For individuals with progressive diseases like dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and COPD, specialized dietary interventions are particularly important. These interventions can address challenges such as difficulty swallowing, maintaining adequate nutrient and calorie intake, and managing weight. If not properly managed, these issues can significantly impact independence and increase the need for additional care or assistance.​

**How Can a Dietitian Help in Aged Residential Care?

Malnutrition in aged care residents often leads to adverse health outcomes, including:​
-Increased and prolonged hospital admissions​
-Higher risk of pressure injuries and delayed wound healing​
-Elevated risk of falls and fractures​
-Increased susceptibility to infections​
-Cognitive decline and dementia​
-Heightened depression and anxiety​
-Reduced independence, mobility, and quality of life​
-Increased mortality risk​

These adverse health outcomes also escalate caregiver and nursing workloads, thereby increasing facility costs. Engaging with families to manage health conditions can incur both direct and indirect expenses for a facility, including meetings, communication, complaint management, and documentation.​

Implementing dietitian-led nutritional strategies can help mitigate these risks, thereby reducing associated healthcare expenses. A systematic review suggests that food-based nutrition interventions in aged care settings are not only clinically effective but also have a low implementation cost, making them cost-effective in improving outcomes related to malnutrition.​

Ensuring optimal nutrition for aged care residents is critical to their overall health, well-being, and quality of life.

Updated: 25 Mar 2025