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Patrick South, Head of Public Affairs of Age Concern, said:

“There is no excuse for people to be malnourished in hospitals or care homes.  Food is one of the most basic human needs, and should be as high a priority for hospital staff as administering medication for a patient’s treatment and recovery.

“One in four older people admitted to hospital is malnourished, malnutrition is still rife in the community, with up to14% of people aged 65 and over in the UK being malnourished – a problem which is rarely tackled. 

“The Government’s plans to tackle malnutrition must look beyond the hospital setting and also address malnutrition in the community.  Malnutrition costs the UK more than £7.3 billion per year^[2] - far more than obesity, and should be as high a public health priority as obesity.


-Ends-

Notes to Editors
 ^[2] Malnutrition among Older People in the Community, British Association for Parentarel and Enteral Nutrition, May 2006.

Age Concern’s Hungry to be Heard campaign highlights the national scandal that six out of ten older people are at risk of becoming malnourished, or their situation getting worse, in hospital.  Malnourished patients stay in hospital for longer, are three times as likely to develop complications during surgery and have a higher mortality rate than well-fed patients.  Ending the scandal of malnourished older people in hospitals will save lives.

The seven steps for Hungry to Be Heard are:

1. Hospital staff must listen to older people, and their relatives and carers
2. All ward staff must become ‘food aware’
3. Hospital staff must follow their own professional codes and guidance from other bodies
4. Older people must be assessed for the signs or danger of malnourishment on admission and at regular intervals during their stay
5. Introduce ‘protected mealtimes’
6. Implement a ‘red tray system’ and ensure that it works in practice
7. Use volunteers where appropriate
   

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