Nutrition for older parents
Around one in ten people over 65 in the UK, more than a million people, are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition, and 93% of them live in their own home. BAPEN's national survey found 56% of people screened at home were at risk, higher than in care homes (55%) or hospitals (44%). Malnutrition costs England's health and social care system an estimated £19.6 billion a year, and someone malnourished sees their GP twice as often and is admitted to hospital three times as often.
This guide covers why it happens (long-term conditions, reduced mobility, bereavement, low mood and dementia), the warning signs worth watching for (unintentional weight loss, loose clothes or rings, low appetite, tiredness, difficulty chewing or swallowing, an empty fridge, slow healing), and food-first practical advice: full-fat milk, yoghurt and cheese, protein at every meal, fortifying ordinary food with butter, cheese, cream or milk powder, five or six smaller meals and snacks, and keeping a few days' worth of food in the house. It explains the MUST screening tool a GP or practice nurse can run to score risk properly and refer on to a dietitian, and local Hertfordshire meal support through HILS (Health & Independent Living Support), which delivers hot meals to the door alongside lunch clubs and crisis food support. AirCarers Companion helps with the ordinary parts: checking the cupboards and doing a shop, preparing a meal during a visit, making sure something is ready for the next meal or the next day, and sitting down to eat together. Companions do not provide personal care or clinical feeding assistance. Visits across Ware, Hertford, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne, Bishop's Stortford and Sawbridgeworth, from £25 an hour.