Malnutrition: Older People
(asked on 16th May 2018) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the contribution of undernutrition to the number of falls by elderly people.
No central assessment has been made of the contribution of undernutrition to the number of falls by older people.
The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 cover the fundamental standards below which care must not drop, including meeting the nutritional and hydration needs of users. The regulations, which are considered during Care Quality Commission inspections, specify that people who use services must have their nutritional needs assessed and mean that the risk of malnutrition and dehydration while they receive care and treatment is reduced.
To help tackle malnutrition in acute and community settings, NHS England published guidance on ‘Commissioning excellent nutrition and hydration’ in October 2015. The implementation of this guidance is a matter for the local National Health Service. The guidance is available at: