Managing malnutrition in older adults: a guide for nurses

Malnutrition affects over a million people in the UK, with even more people at risk of malnutrition, the vast majority of whom live in a community setting.¹ The majority of those with or at risk of malnutrition are older adults¹. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)² states that many UK health professionals have a poor knowledge of the causes, effects and treatment of malnutrition.² The NMC Code of Conduct³ requires nurses must ensure the fundamentals of care are correctly delivered. Fundamentals of care include (amongst others) care of nutrition and hydration.³ This article aims to discuss malnutrition in older adults in the community setting including assessment, initial steps to treatment and signpost readers to appropriate guidelines and resources for further information.