Guidelines indicate the importance of identifying malnutrition in older adults. However, BMI alone may not be enough to identify this risk13. The BAPEN Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool ('MUST')14* combines 3 dimensions of risk: BMI score, unplanned weight loss score and acute disease effect score and is endorsed by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE)15.
Frailty & Disease Related Malnutrition
As people get older, they become more vulnerable and at increased risk of frailty. Frailty is defined by NHS England as "the group of older people who are at highest risk of adverse outcomes such as falls, disability, admission to hospital, or the need for long-term care" 1. Frailty is often linked with malnutrition which is a condition that develops when a person's nutritional intake does not give them the right amount of energy (calories), protein and other nutrients.
Frail older adults are more sensitive to minor stressors
Malnutrition is common in older adults living in the community
Identifying malnutrition is key to support older adult patients
The Nutricia Adult Oral Nutritional Supplement Range
Oral Nutritional Supplements can support malnourished older adults
Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) should be considered for older adults that are identified as being at risk of malnutrition. Our trusted range of Adult Oral Nutritional Supplements has a product suitable for your patient.
Learn more with Nutricia Academy
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Malnutrition and Frailty E-learning: Managing and addressing nutritional concerns to improve outcomes in frail patients.
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Frailty & Disease Related Malnutrition
2 hours
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Screening for Malnutrition using 'MUST'
E-learning
Frailty & Disease Related Malnutrition
45 mins
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The Role of Protein in Malnutrition
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Frailty & Disease Related Malnutrition
45 mins
High Protein Evidence
- NHS England. Frailty - what it means and how to keep well over the winter months, 2013. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/blog/frailty [Accessed on July 2024].
- Clegg, et al. Lancet. 2013;381(9868):752-62.
- Petermann-Rocha, et al. J Public Health (Oxf). 2022;44(2): e172-80.
- AlMohaisen N, et al. PLoS One. 2022;17(12):e0278371.
- Ashworth. Br J Nurs. 2021;30(21):S4-10.
- Gingrich, et al. BMC Geriatr. 2019; 19(1):120.
- Hickson, et al. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2022;35(1):145-53.
- Morris, et al. Geriatrics (Basel). 2020;5(1):6.
- Coelho-Júnior, et al. Nutrients. 2018;10(9):1334
- Severin, et al. Topics Geriatric Med 2019;35(1):79-87.
- Roigk, et al. 2021. In: Interdisciplinary Nutritional Management and Care for older Adults. Springer. pp51-64.
- Roberts, et al. Nutrients. 2019;11(4):808.
- Gupta, B. et al. J Clin Med Res. 2010; 2(2):68-9.
- ‘MUST’: Malnutrition Universal Screening tool. Available at: https://www.bapen.org.uk/pdfs/must/ must_full.pdf [Accessed July 2024].
- NICE. Nutrition support for adults: oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition (Clinical Guideline 32), 2006. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg32 [Accessed July 2024].
*‘Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool’ (‘MUST’) is reproduced here with the kind permission of BAPEN (British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition). For further information on ‘MUST’ see www.bapen.org.uk’.
**Based on NHS dm+d data taken in June 2024 comparing Fortisip Extra 200ml to Altraplen Protein 200ml and Fresubin Protein Energy 200ml
^Product can be provided to patients upon the request of a Healthcare Professional. They are intended for the purpose of professional evaluation only.
Fortisip Extra is a Food for Special Medical Purposes for the dietary management of disease related malnutrition and must be used under medical supervision.
ONS = Oral Nutritional Supplement
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
All products shown here are Foods for Special Medical Purposes and must be used under medical supervision. See individual product labels or product data cards for more information.
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