DOC ‘great believer
in the natural route’
March 17, 2005 - Natalie Miller
For one resident, the introduction of flax flour into her diet, helped ease a chronic condition.

She preferred it in tomato juice as opposed to her breakfast cereal, but was one of about 40 residents at Almonte Country Haven to receive the remedy daily. Director of care Pam Murphy says flax flour is helping the long-term care home residents with regularity, reducing the number of pharmaceutical products necessary.

“I’ve been a great believer in the natural route,” says Pam, explaining what prompted her to introduce the flax flour program at Almonte Country Haven.

Almonte uses high-fibre jam for residents’ toast and offers prune juice in the mornings.

Pam also heard about the success of the program at Kanata long-term care home Garden Terrace. There, in an effort led by the nutritional care manager and director of care, residents were given two tablespoons of flax flour daily, which dramatically reduced the need for pharmaceuticals.

After meeting with a Garden Terrace dietician, Pam got the program started at Almonte for residents who require assistance with their meals. “Reading the literature on flax flour and the overall benefits of flax flour, I thought I’d give it a try.”

Pam began by mixing flax flour into her meals at home to determine how it tasted in different foods. She discovered hot cereal and orange juice worked better than cold cereals. At Almonte, Pam monitored the breakfast meals for awhile, to ensure the flax flour was being offered to those residents on the program and tracked the results.

She says generally flax flour has reduced the need for regular use of pharmaceutical laxatives. “Overall it has been really good.”

Pam expects to introduce the program to the home’s other 42 residents in the future.