Resident nutrition
from healthcare professionals (HCPs). These tools function as a form of triaging, and if not completed properly, services may decline referrals. It is crucial for care homes to seek support from HCPs when needed, as their expertise allows them to provide specialist patient-centred support to residents. Collaborating with HCPs ensures that residents receive the best possible care. Accurate use of a screening tools is not only best practice for the health and wellbeing of residents, but it is also useful for audits. For instance, MUST scores provide a measurable way of identifying if the catering provision within a home is meeting the nutritional needs of their residents.
Nutrition and Hydration Care Plans Another aspect of a personalised nutrition pathway are Nutrition and Hydration Care Plans. These are key to ensuring the nutritional pathway is in fact personalised to the resident and should be completed with the resident and/or family where possible. Regulation 14 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 states that care plans should be completed upon admission as part of an initial assessment to identify the resident’s overall care needs and must be reviewed regularly to ensure adequate nutrition and hydration to support good health.5
It is essential that care homes have a robust allergy management policy in place
and health. These plans should accurately reflect the evolving needs and preferences of the residents. Nutrition and Hydration Care Plans should detail the person’s likes and dislikes, allergies and intolerances, their need for assistance when eating including adaptive cutlery, and dining preferences. If completed in detail and reviewed regularly, these plans provide an invaluable tool to support residents to eat well within your care home.
Identifying a resident’s specialist
Regularly reviewing allows for quick responses to any changes in an individual’s needs, which can vary with age
dietary needs is the first step in ensuring they receive adequate food provision. Staff training is crucial for accurately completing these documents and ensuring the safety of residents. Managers are responsible for organising sufficient training for all staff members, and regular audits should be conducted to identify any weaknesses in training and address areas for improvement. External training opportunities – such as in-house sessions with a dietitian – can enhance understanding and emphasise the importance of accurately completing these documents.
As already mentioned, and identified
within the Nourishing Lives report, specialist diets are highly prevalent in care homes; however, confidence in catering for these residents is low. The consequence of this can be grave, either through unsafe food being provided or residents only being offered very limited choice – resulting in monotony and menu fatigue. Allergens and texture modified diets are particularly challenging and the consequence of not being able to provide for residents on these diets is great. Allergen awareness has improved since the introduction Natasha’s Law in October 2021. This states that food prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) must be labelled with the name of the food and a full ingredients list with the allergens emphasised, providing even more peace of mind when using pre- prepared meals.
The Nourishing Lives report found that
three-quarters of care homes have altered their approach to catering for allergens following the introduction of this law, in ways such as having clear allergen lists displayed on menus and recording residents’ needs carefully with more readily available lists to staff.2
It is essential that care homes have a robust allergy management policy in place to ensure the health and safety of residents. This policy should include procedures for identifying residents with food allergies upon admission, documenting their allergies, and implementing measures to prevent cross-contamination and accidental exposure. The food standards agency (FSA) state that a resident’s dietary needs should be documented in their care plan and processes put in place to ensure their needs are communicated to those serving the food.6 One way to reduce the risk of a resident
having an allergic reaction is through comprehensive staff training on food allergies, including how to recognise symptoms of an allergic reaction, how to read food labels effectively, and how to handle and prepare allergen-free meals safely (avoiding cross-contamination). Despite improved awareness and management of allergens, catering for residents with allergies remains challenging and very prevalent, with up to 1 in 4 residents living with allergies and requiring ‘free-from’ meals at most care homes.2
One challenge that poses significant risk to residents with severe allergies is cross-contamination. Cross-contamination
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