Malnutrition
Malnutrition otherwise known as ‘poor nutrition’ is a common health problem which occurs when your body doesn’t get the correct balance of nutrients from your diet for optimal / good health.
Anyone can become malnourished, but it’s more common in people who have a long-term health conditions that affects their appetite, weight and/or how well nutrients are absorbed by the gut. Malnutrition can result as part of a disease or long term condition or illness, it can also develop due to mental health conditions. The cost of living crisis is also having an impact particularly on low income families and older adults in Scotland who may be at an increased risk of developing malnutrition.
Being malnourished can lead to muscle weakness, lack of energy, changes in mood, irritability, poor wound healing, an increased risk of infections, longer hospital stays and mobility problems.
If you feel that you or someone you care for is at risk of malnutrition, please refer to the useful resources and links below for screening tools, practical ideas and advice on how what you can do to treat malnutrition, or speak to your GP or specialist nurse, as you may be referred to a dietitian who can provide specialist advice.
The resources and links below are for information purposes only, they are not intended to replace a medical diagnosis or dietary advice given by a dietitian.
Self Help Leaflets and Resources for Patients and Carers
- Eat Well Age Well – Focuses on preventing, detecting and treating malnutrition and dehydration in older adults living at home in Scotland.
- Resources – Leaflets and posters
- Malnutrition Toolkit – To encourage voluntary organisations, community groups, carers and individuals to start raising the issue of malnutrition.
- Eating Well in Later Life | Malnutrition Task Force – A range of useful resources that can be downloaded or you can request a hard copy.
- Food First Flyer | NHS Forth Valley
- Managing Malnutrition – Leaflets for those at low, medium and high risk of developing Malnutrition – Malnutrition Pathway
- Self-Screening Tool | BAPEN – BAPEN have developed a simple adult screening tool you can use along with advice to follow if you are at risk of becoming malnourished.
- Spotting and Treating Malnutrition | British Dietetic Association – Food Fact Sheet
Easy Read Resources
- Easy Health – Easy Health are an online library of accessible health information with simple words, clear pictures and films.
- Food For Thought – Easy Read Version – NHS Forth Valley Self Help Guide.
- Healthy Eating – Easy Read Downloads – Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
- Healthy Life Styles – Download Easy Read information sheets – A Picture of Health – NHS South of England – Making Health Information Easier.
- Learning Disability Service | Leeds and Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust – A range of easy read, downloadable resources including a Nutrition Support fact sheet.
Useful Websites, Videos and Apps
- Access to Food | NHS Forth Valley – Has links to websites that can offer support around debt and money issues, as well as links to the Forth Valley – Sustainable Food Directory – can help individuals find local support throughout Forth Valley around accessing emergency food aid, community cafes and more.
- BAPEN – raises awareness of malnutrition and works to advance the nutritional care of patients and those at risk from malnutrition in the wider community.
- Eat Well Age Well – Tackling malnutrition in older people living at home in Scotland.
- Food Fortification video – Developed by North Derbyshire Dietitian’s, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
- Malnutrition | NHS Inform
- Malnutrition Taskforce – Eating and drinking well in later life.
- Nutrition in Older People | NHS Forth Valley
- Spotting and Treating Malnutrition | British Dietetic Association
Staff Resources and Training
- BAPEN – Have a range of resources, tools and training around screening for malnutrition.
- E- Learning Portal – Designed for health and social care staff working in hospitals, primary care and care homes.
- Healthcare Professionals
- MUST Calculator
- MUST Toolkit and Resources – Staff resources available to print off in a variety of different languages – includes the full MUST Toolkit, flowchart and BMI and weight loss charts.
- Eat Well Age Well – Training opportunities and resources are available to those working with older people. The training aims to increase their knowledge and confidence around identifying and supporting older people, living at home, who are at risk of or suffering from malnutrition.
- NDR (UK) | Nutrition and Diet Resources (UK) – Is a charity and social enterprise that operates on a not-for-profit basis. They are a well-established provider of printed and digital nutrition and diet resources. Their evidence based resources empower clinicians and healthcare services to: educate patients; enable self-management; and improve health and well-being.
- Nutritional Support in Primary Care – Information for Health Professionals – Nutritional support for adults.
- Nutritional Training for Residential Care Settings – Webinar – NHS Forth Valley Community Dietitians and Speech and Language Therapists.