Remember he is G Tube fed so he is supposed to be getting complete nutrition. He does get outside often as a rule too.
AThe big experts in the vitamin D field want to make 2,000 IU/d the new RDA. Jevity appears to have 400 IU - the current (inadequate) standard.
When I have patients with low vit D (common even here in sunny San Diego) it usually takes about 5,000 IU/d for several months to bring them up to optimal levels.
At your latitude, you can't make vitamin D in the winter - the sun is too weak.
Vitamin D deficiency causes muscle weakness. Giving vitamin D to elderly patients in nursing homes reduced falls by 50% in four months. Ask them to check a blood level.
Also - are there any alternatives to the standard tube feedings? Can regular foods ever be blended and put in the tube? It's hard to imagine how one can be truly healthy on a diet where the first few ingredients are corn, corn, soy, and corn.
