Adapting SPICE-Healthcare for Spanish-speaking older adults in Mexico and Illinois nursing homes

Academic Partners | Minakshi (Mina) Raj & Margarita Teran-Garcia
Community Partner 1 | Avicenna Community Health Center
Community Partner 2 University of Illinois Extension

Project Description
The Support Personalized and Inclusive Cuisines in Environments for Healthcare (SPICE-Healthcare) platform is a web-based resource designed to support dietitians, clinicians, and food service professionals working in long-term care facilities. The platform helps healthcare teams develop dietary assessments and care plans that are tailored to patients' medical, cultural, and nutritional needs. 

SPICE-Healthcare provides comprehensive information on herbs and spices commonly used across diverse cultures, enabling healthcare professionals to incorporate culturally familiar ingredients into meal planning. By promoting culturally inclusive dietary practices in long-term care settings, the platform aims to enhance cultural humility, improve patient satisfaction, and support person-centered care.

The platform also highlights the potential health benefits of various herbs and spices, allowing healthcare providers to consider evidence-informed dietary recommendations that may complement the management of specific health conditions when appropriate.

SPICE-Healthcare was developed to address the needs of the growing population of culturally diverse older adults living in long-term care facilities, where culturally appropriate meal options are often limited. By supporting personalized and inclusive nutrition, the platform seeks to improve the quality of dietary services and contribute to more equitable healthcare for aging populations. 

Role of the Scholar
The Community-Academic Scholar (CAS) will contribute to the development of the SPICE-Healthcare platform by expanding and refining its database of herbs and spices. This includes entering information on culinary uses, cultural relevance, example recipes, and the potential health benefits and adverse effects associated with each ingredient, based on the available scientific evidence.

In addition, the CAS will identify and incorporate herbs and spices commonly used in Spanish-speaking cultures, along with evidence supporting their potential health effects. By broadening the representation of culturally significant ingredients, the CAS will help make the platform more inclusive and improve its ability to support culturally appropriate nutrition recommendations for diverse populations in long-term care settings.