The Island’s Dietetic Service is taking the lead in raising awareness of importance of nutrition and hydration as an important part of quality care, experience and safety improvement in health and social care settings.
Nutrition and Hydration Week takes place from 16 March this year. This global campaign, in partnership with national associations such as Patient Safety First, the National Association of Care Catering and the Hospital Caterers Association, focuses on nutrition and hydration as essentials element of care.
The Dietetic Service will launch a collaborative project with the Island’s Live at Home Scheme to raise awareness that eating a nutritious diet at home is important in maintaining health and independence. Training volunteers from the Live at Home Scheme will help them to be able to encourage people to make positive changes to eating and drinking habits, reducing the risk of malnutrition.
Malnutrition, meaning poor nutrition, occurs when a person’s diet lacks essential nutrients. This can affect anyone; however it is more common amongst older adults and people with poor physical health, as well as those who are socially isolated as a result of poor mobility, or mental health problems. It can occur over a long period of time which sometimes means it can be difficult to identify.
Josie Wade:
'Research shows that people who eat well recover from illnesses more quickly and that well-nourished people generally have a better quality of life.
'The Dietetic Service is looking forward to taking the message of good nutrition and hydration into community settings through our partnership with the Island’s Live at Home Scheme.
'In Noble’s hospital we will be promoting of the importance of using screening tools for staff to identify at-risk individuals, and the significant contribution that snacks and nourishing drinks can make to people who have a poor appetite or increased nutrition requirements due to illness or injury.'
The public are invited to take some time to read the fact sheet by the British Dietetic Association available here to learn about the signs and symptoms of malnutrition and some easy steps to help. If anyone has any concerns about themselves or someone they know, then they should contact their GP or practice nurse for help, advice and referral to a dietitian if necessary.
