According to the British Geriatrics Society, “Being malnourished has serious consequences resulting in reduced independence, delayed recovery, more frequent nurse and GP visits, more frequent hospital admission and increased length of stay.”

Good nutrition is a basic right for all people, yet around one in ten over the age of 65, or around 1.3 million, are already malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. This is because they’re struggling to cope with the tasks associated with eating and drinking.

The objective of the Malnutrition Task Force is to actively influence behaviours across the NHS, residential care and in the community. This is done through developing mechanisms and collating examples of how to identify, prevent and minimise the risk of malnutrition, across all care settings.

Specifically this includes:

• Creating products to influence the levers for change including practical case studies that demonstrate benefits where it is being achieved
• Mobilising action in the public sector, charities and companies to make the change happen
• Making recommendations to central and local government, and the NHS Commissioning Board

As the Malnutrition Task Force say, “In a care home or your own home, it’s important that you enjoy your food, have enough to eat and drink, and get the help you need to eat and drink when you need it.”

Involving loved ones and caregivers is also seen as an important factor in ensuring that older people are eating and drinking appropriately, through support and making mealtimes enjoyable.

It can be difficult to encourage older people to eat and drink enough, especially if they have fears around continence. They may refuse to eat and drink because they are concerned about making it to the toilet in time, however caregivers can offer reassurance that, if accidents happen, they will help them while preserving their dignity.

It can also be difficult for caregivers to identify if someone is thirsty or not drinking enough, especially if the person struggles to communicate. Many factors can influence why someone is malnourished or dehydrated, including loss and bereavement, loneliness, financial worries, long-term conditions, and mental health. Caregivers can watch for signs that someone is struggling through behaviour changes for instance, and can alert healthcare professionals.