www.nutritionandhygeneweek.co.uk
Nutrition and Hydration Week
10 key characteristics of good care are:
- Screen all residents to identify malnourishment or risk of malnourishment and ensure actions are progressed and monitored.
- Together with each resident, create a personal care/support plan enabling them to have choice and control over their own nutritional care and fluid needs.
- Care providers could include specific guidance on food and beverage services and other nutritional & hydration care.
- People using care services get in the planning and monitoring arrangements for food and drinks provision.
- Food and drinks should be provided alone or with assistance in an environment conducive to residents being able to consume their food (Protected Mealtimes).
- All health care professionals and volunteers could receive regular training to ensure they have the skills, qualifications and competencies needed to meet the nutritional and fluid requirements of the residents.
- Facilities and services providing nutrition and hydration are designed to be flexible and centred on the residents using them, 24 hours a day, every day.
- All care providers to have a nutrition and hydration policy centred on the needs of users, and is performance managed in line with local governance, national standards and regulatory frameworks.
- Food, drinks and other nutritional care are delivered safely.
- Care providers should take a multi-disciplinary approach to nutrition and hydrational care, valuing the contribution of all staff, residents, and volunteers working in partnership.
Age Concern (2006) reported a lack of appropriate food and absence of support with eating and drinking as one of the most frequently raised issues by older people’s relatives following a hospital admission.
Nutrition Tips:
- Using high energy and high protein foods added to the diet without increasing the volume of foods consumed (e.g. cheese, full fat milk, butter, cream)
- Small, frequent meals consisting of nutritionally dense foods
- High energy and high protein snacks between meals
- Nourishing fluids should be maximised (milky drinks, soups, powdered supplements)
- Aim to overcome barriers to oral intake (e.g. pain, poor dentition, need for a texture modified diet, environmental and social problems)
- Consideration should be given to micronutrients. A multivitamin maybe required.
Using the above techniques can improve nutritional intake whilst ensuring the appropriate nutrition. Further advice and guidelines are available at www.thenacc.co.uk and www.bda.uk.com
NHS Nutrition and Hydration guide:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/nut-hyd-guid.pdf
Hydration
Water is essential to health but is often overlooked. This can result in vulnerable individuals missing out on the support they need to help maintain a healthy level of hydration. The medical evidence for good hydration shows that it can assist in preventing or treating ailments such as:
• Pressure ulcers
• Constipation
• Urinary infections and incontinence
• Kidney stones
• Heart disease
• Low blood pressure
• Diabetes (management of)
• Cognitive impairment
• Dizziness and confusion leading to falls
• Poor oral health
• Skin conditions
In many care homes, older residents are often affected by dehydration. As a result, some residents are put at risk of falls, urinary tract infections (UTIs), acute kidney injury (AKI) and sepsis. UTI is a common cause for emergency hospital admission.
Hydration and Dementia
Colour contrast is vital in dementia care settings, where cognitive and perception problems can lead to falls and increased anxiety.
A wide range of drinking aids are available - https://andwayhealthcare.com/ColouredTableware