MenuChoice:Nutrition Program for Community-based Group Homes for Persons with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities

This project develops a nutrition program, MenuChoice©, for community-based group homes for persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). Adults with IDD experience poorer nutritional health and more nutrition-related secondary conditions than adults without disabilities. These conditions are preventable and modifiable through a safe, healthful diet, but multiple challenges preclude this much needed improvement from occurring, especially in semi-dependent populations. MenuChoice© is a nutritional health promotion system consisting of written support resources together with an online program of training. It structures the food systems of group homes, manages the dietary intake of adults with IDD, and fits seamlessly into the operations of the group home. During Phase I, a comprehensive educational schematic for online training, with all learning elements tested for feasibility and learner appropriateness and the system requirements for the information technology necessary for online implementation of the training are developed. Project results are expected to be commercially viable, empirically validated providing a unique, practical, and affordable solution to the problem of poor nutrition and nutrition-related secondary conditions in adults with IDD who live in community-based group homes.