There are many factors which can cause malnutrition including poor appetite and poor intake of food and drink. This commonly results in weight loss as well as increased risk of infections and other illnesses.
It therefore essential that staff working in care homes are able to recognise the signs of malnutrition and initiate treatment as early as possible.
We have developed resources and videos to help improve your residentâs eating and drinking to reduce risk of malnutrition or treat it once diagnosed.
Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) training webinar
View or download a copy of the webinar slides: MUST training for care home staff webinar slides
Who is it for? All staff members working in Care Home environment that support residents with eating and drinking.
Duration of training: 45 mins
Learning objectives:
- To be able to understand and complete MUST screening accurately
- Understand how to use the BAPEN MUST online screening tool BAPEN online MUST calculator
- Understand and familiarise yourself with the Bucks care home MUST management guidelines
- How to complete a nutrition and hydration care plan â know what to include.
- Understand a food first approach and the benefits for this.
- Understand when it is appropriate to refer to a dietitian
- To be confident in screening for malnutrition risk and implementing good nutrition and hydration practices for all residents.
Nutrition and Hydration in dementia training webinar
View or download a copy of the webinar slides: nutrition and hydration in dementia
Who is it for? All staff members working in Care Home environment that support residents with dementia with their eating and drinking.
Duration of training: 20 mins
Learning objectives:
- Have a better understanding of how to support the nutritional needs of a resident with dementia.
- Feel confident in using the information provided with residents with the aim of improving quality of life and reducing malnutrition risk.
- Spotting and troubleshooting barriers to good nutrition and hydration.
- To know when to seek more specialist nutrition support from the dietetic team
Food Fortification
The training webinars make reference to an approach called food fortification.
What is food fortification? Adding household ingredients to normal food to increase its nutritional content without increasing the amount of food which needs to be eaten
What is the aim of food fortification? To increase the nutritional intake by 500 calories a day. This can be achieved by fortifying meals, taking 2-3 small nutritious snacks in between meals and fortified milky drinks.
How to prepare homemade supplement drinks
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Community Dietetic Service, have made a series of YouTube videos that outline how to prepare fortified milk and homemade supplements
Who are they for? Chefs, Catering Assistants, Care Assistants, Nurses, Hostesses and Nutrition Champions working in Care Homes whose role is central to supporting residents to meet their nutritional needs, including preventing and treating malnutrition
Duration of training:Â Each video is 2-4 minutes long
Watch a video on how to make …
Fortified milk
Fortified milkshake
Fortified fruit juice