Nutrition & Hydration Week was 14 – 20 June. Did your service Reinforce, Focus and Energise? These were the key points to this annual event designed to highlight, promote and celebrate improvements in the provision of nutrition and hydration locally, nationally and globally.
Never is more important than at this time of year, through the hot weather that individuals are kept hydrated and encouraged to eat, given that appetite is certain to wain in the heat.
The NHS state that Malnutrition is common and yet often unrecognised and so under-treated, and that individuals should be involved in menu planning and inspection.
The updated 10 key characteristic of good nutrition and hydration care, as published by the NHS are:
- Screen all patients and service-users to identify malnourishment or risk of malnourishment and ensure actions are progressed and monitored.
- Together with each patient or service user, create a personal care/support plan enabling them to have choice and control over their own nutritional care and fluid needs.
- Care providers should include specific guidance on food and beverage services and other nutritional & hydration care in their service delivery and accountability arrangements.
- People using care services are involved in the planning and monitoring arrangements for food service and drinks provision.
- Food and drinks should be provided alone or with assistance in an environment conducive to patients being able to consume their food (Protected Mealtimes).
- All health care professionals and volunteers receive regular training to ensure they have the skills, qualifications and competencies needed to meet the nutritional and fluid requirements of people using their services.
- Facilities and services providing nutrition and hydration are designed to be flexible and centred on the needs of the people using them, 24 hours a day, every day.
- All care providers to have a nutrition and hydration policy centred on the needs of users, and is performance managed in line with local governance, national standards, and regulatory frameworks.
- Food, drinks, and other nutritional care are delivered safely.
- Care providers should take a multi-disciplinary approach to nutrition and hydrational care, valuing the contribution of all staff, people using the service, carers and volunteers working in partnership.
Careskills Academy eLearning course, ‘Nutrition and Hydration’, will ensure that your staff have the knowledge and understanding required to promote healthy eating and improve hydration of vulnerable service users.
