As 14th – 20th October is UK Malnutrition Awareness Week 2019 (please reference #MAW2019 in any tweets!), we at Carers Scotland wanted to share some of the work we have been doing to raise the issue of malnutrition and caring

With a joint vision to empowering patients and carers to receive the right nutritional care at the right time, wherever they may live, we are partnering with Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition to improve understanding about nutrition and caring.

In a recent survey Carers UK found that 60% of carers worry about the nutritional intake of the person they care for.  In 2018, we produce a “Spotlight on Nutrition” report, which provided a series of tools and resources that can be used to highlight nutrition and find solutions to improve nutrition, prevent malnutrition and boost health and wellbeing and support carers to care.

https://www.carersuk.org/for-professionals/policy/policy-library/spotlight-on-nutrition-2018

Good nutrition can help the body to maintain or improve strength, stay mobile and help to keep us independent.

When individuals are ill, or when recovering from an operation or recent infection, the body can become weaker.  During these times people can often find it harder to get all of the nutrition they need.

Our partnership provides carers with the information and resources on nutritional care for themselves and the person they care for.

The following titles have been produced to help provide better support for carers around nutritional problems and eating difficulties.

• Eating well with chronic obstructive airways disease
• Eating well with stroke
• Eating well with dementia
• Eating well with cancer
• The importance of eating well for carers
• The role of good nutrition when caring for someone
• Understanding the nutrition gap and how it affects the person you care for
• Speaking to your GP when you are concerned about the nutritional intake of the person you care for

The vast majority of people at risk of malnutrition live in the community, on their own, or with their families so making sure that carers have the advice and information they need about nutrition is a big issue for local communities.

For more information go to www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/health/nutrition.

Learn more through the e-learning module at www.carersuk.org/for-professionals/carersuk-products/e-learning-courses/e-learning-role-of-nutrition