We would like to introduce you to an amazing lady who has an amazing product and business. Her business is making and selling very nutritious feeding tube food. She didn’t start this business to become rich or powerful. She started it out of love. Love for her father.
We want to tell you this story because it is so inspiring.
Meet Robin Gentry McGee. About 13 years ago in 2005, Robin’s father slipped on the ice. As he went down, he hit his head hard enough that he went into a coma.
In the hospital, the doctors didn’t give him much of a chance. In fact they told Robin’s family repeatedly that it might be time to pull the plug.
One day while Robin was sitting with her Dad in the hospital, she happened to pick up a package of the feeding tube food. She turned it over and read the ingredients.
All of a sudden it hit her. The ingredients of the feeding tube formula were scary. They consisted of things like High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, and an assortment of chemicals.
Fixing Junk Feeding Tube Food
Robin had a background in nutrition. She knew what these feeding tube food ingredients can do to a healthy person, let alone someone in a coma. And yet those ingredients were her father’s primary source of nutrition for the past year.
After pleading her case to the Doctor, he agreed to let her try coming up with her own feeding tube formula. So she went to work. She made a mixture of:
- Whole Grains
- Legumes
- Lots of Healthy Vegetables
- Chinese Herbs
- Vitamin Supplements
Her mixture was truly all natural. The book “Healing with Whole Foods” by Paul Pitchford helped her come up with the recipe.
It took six weeks with the new diet before the family started seeing results. And oh what results they were! Remember that her Doctors were ready to pull the plug.
After six weeks, her Dad was sitting upright and talking. Although he had to be in a wheelchair for a while, the fact that he was interacting, talking and awake was amazing.
His Doctor called it a ‘Miracle’. Her family called it ‘Liquid Hope’. Robin just called it good nutrition. You can see the story here:
Liquid Hope: The Healthy Feeding Tube Food
After seeing the success her mixture had on her Dad, Robin started to think about helping others. And her company was born. Of course the FDA stepped in and made her change the name from Liquid Hope to Functional Formularies.
The natural approach to feeding tube (entereal) food just makes sense. Suppose you had a family member on a feeding tube. Do you think it would be better to feed them food that is highly nutritious? Or food that is full of sugar and chemicals?
Apparently a lot of other people think the same way. They have a web page full of testimonials on their website. Here are a sample of them:
"I have been working with people who have cancer for the last 13 years and been a nurse for over 30 years. I have been searching for a "whole food" based, nutrient dense formula to recommend to my patients my entire career! Liquid Hope is truly an answer to this prayer. There is NOTHING out there that is suitable for human consumption. Those products are filled with chemicals and sugar, which PROMOTE disease. People need "food" to assist the body’s innate quest to heal, strengthen the immune system, and support that process. It truly does give HOPE!"~ Laurie McCracken, RN, OCN, HHC"Finally, a formula that delivers the healing power of nutrition from organic, whole foods. This is the "food as medicine" nutrition support product that patients have been hungry for!"~ Kathie Madonna Swift, MS, RD, LDN, FAND Swift Nutrition Recently named by Today’s Dietitian as one of the top Registered Dietitians in the country who are "making a difference".
Not Just for Feeding Tubes Anymore
The beauty of Robin's Functional Formularies is that it doesn't just have to be for feeding tubes. Since it is full of natural food that you can find in your local grocery store, you can eat it as a regular meal.
Many of the fans of Functional Formularies have come up with all kinds of recipes for it. Here and here are some examples of delicious smoothie recipes. Regular people can enjoy these smoothies as a complete meal replacement.
Yes, Insurance Can Cover It
Functional Formularies is feeding tube food produced in an FDA qualified lab. That means you can use Medicare or other insurance to cover it. There are certain stipulations you need to meet in order to qualify:
- A Prescription from your Doctor
- Recent Progress Notes (past 6 months) from your Doctor
- A Nutrition Assessment Treatment Plan from a licensed nutritionist, pharmacist or doctor
- An Entereal Form filled out by your doctor, nurse practitioner or physicians assistant.
There are some other requirements for Medicare recipients. Here is a complete checklist of requirements for medical coverage.
If for some reason your insurance won't cover the cost of this outstanding feeding tube food, you may be able to use your Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Savings Account (FSA). Purchases may also be tax deductible. Check with your employer and/or Tax Professional.
Not Just for Seniors Anymore
After seeing the successful launch of Robin's product with elderly people, her company decided to expand into creating a pediatric feeding tube formula.
The feeding tube food for children received a ton of testimonials and success stories, just like the original version did. Here is a video of one mother's success with her son:
We here at A Paradise for Parents assisted living can't say enough good things about this company. They perfectly align with our philosophy of helping elderly people become well enough to live at home. Ideally we want people to stay out of nursing homes all together. It's also great that they want to help the grandchildren of our residents if they have problems.
If people move into our homes, we want to work with them through our nutrition program and personal trainer. We want to do everything we can to have your loved one function well in their own home, not just stay in ours.
Do you have any questions about chronic diseases or problems associated with old age? Please contact us through our website, call us at 623-295-9890 or email us at Cam@aparadiseforparents.com.
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