Malnutrition
Fighting Malnutrition – A combination of forces
With BAPEN’s mission in mind – To fight malnutrition – The In Touch team approached some other associations who are also working hard to raise the profile of malnutrition and educate people with regards to the detrimental effects of malnutrition. Below Age UK, the NACC and the National Council of Women share with us their current activities which are helping to fight malnutrition.
Age UK People in later life still Hungry to be Heard in hospital
The problem With a shocking 180,0001
malnourished each year and 2392
patients leaving hospital dying of
per year, older patients are either admitted to hospital malnourished and nothing is done about it, or become malnourished because they don’t get the right food or the help needed to eat it. The Charity created its ‘Hungry to be Heard’ campaign in 2006 to tackle this most serious and avoidable issue and to offer practical ways to help stop people in later life becoming malnourished whilst in hospital.
malnutrition during their stay in 2009, Age UK’s* work to tackle malnutrition in hospitals has never been more important. At a cost to the NHS of £7.3 billion3
At its inception, the campaign outlined seven key steps* that hospitals urgently need to implement to help eradicate malnutrition in hospitals. Four years on from the launch of ‘Hungry to be Heard’, positive moves have been made and there are some excellent examples of the steps taken to make a difference to how hospitals monitor, treat and prevent malnutrition. However, as Age UK’s report ‘Still Hungry to be Heard’ highlights, a lot more needs to be done. For example, guidelines state that hospitals are supposed to screen people in later life for malnutrition on arrival and during their stay, but currently, there is inconsistency from hospital to
hospital and between wards. Some patients are screened inaccurately; others are screened accurately but no action is taken, and some are not screened at all.
The solution
The ‘Still Hungry to be Heard’ report continues to call for hospitals to adopt Age UK’s seven key steps*. The steps provide simple but effective solutions that wards can carry out to ensure people in later life get the food and help they need at mealtimes.
* The seven steps
1. Hospital staff must listen to us, our relatives and our carers.
2. All ward staff must become food aware. 3. Hospital staff must follow their own professional codes and guidance from other bodies.
4. We must be assessed for the signs or danger of malnourishment on admission and at regular intervals during our hospital stay.
5. Hospitals should introduce ‘protected mealtimes’, so that staff cannot carry out routine tests or rounds when patients are eating their meals.
6. Hospitals should implement a ‘red tray’
system, where people who need help with eating are given food on a red tray so that nurses and health assistants can easily identify them. Hospitals must monitor their ‘red tray’ systems and ensure that it works in practice.
7. Hospitals should use trained volunteers where appropriate.
In the past four years politicians have acknowledged the seriousness of this issue and many NHS trusts have started to improve mealtimes for older patients. However, more needs to be done to eradicate the problem. In 2011, Age UK is calling for the Government, the CQC and NHS trusts to ensure malnutrition is tackled on wards. In addition to the seven steps, Age UK wants the Government to introduce compulsory recording of malnutrition rates in hospitals. To date, there remains limited accurate data to show how many patients are going into hospital malnourished and how many come out of hospital malnourished. It is also vital that the CQC undertakes an urgent review of hospital mealtimes. It is totally unacceptable that in this day and age people in later life are going hungry and even dying of malnutrition in hospitals, and a coordinated approach is vital in putting an end to it.
Reference: 1.
www.stephenobrien.org.uk/type2show.asp?ref=857&ID=80 2. Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board End of Year Progress Report, 2009 3. Malnutrition among Older People in the Community: Policy Recommendations for Change, European Nutrition for Health Alliance and British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 2006
* Age UK is the new force combining Age Concern and Help the Aged. The Age UK family includes Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI. Age UK is inspired by the belief that it can improve the lives of people in later life. It celebrates ageing and believes it presents unprecedented opportunities and challenges at home and abroad. Age UK will challenge ageist prejudice in society, provide services that address market failures and support the public and private sectors to design age-friendly products and services. It will support people to remain in their own homes through campaigning and practical services and its Information and Advice service will offer millions of people support on a range of issues from claiming benefits to staying fit and healthy.
Age UK will fund biomedical research that helps tackle the ill health and poor quality of life that are too common as people age. Working with over 350 partners across the country, Age UK helps influence local decisions and delivers the most appropriate services. Its network of over 500 shops will act as a focal point for the local community, providing information and help with local services. Age UK works across the globe as well as in the UK, with its international partner, Help Age International, championing older people’s rights and needs and as an active member of the DEC.
5 BAPEN In Touch No.61 May 2011
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