Older people

Scottish Government (2009) Older People Living in the Community - Nutritional Needs, Barriers and Interventions: A Literature Review, Edinburgh: Scottish Government

Read Older People Living in the Community (Report) and Older People Living in the Community (Research Findings) on the Scottish Government website.

This report presents the findings of a literature review summarising the nutritional needs, barriers to, and possible interventions to improve nutrition of older people living in the community.

Care Commission, Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (2009) Eating well in care homes for older people, Dundee: Care Commission

Read Eating Well in Care Homes for Older People (PDF 6.6MB) on the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland website [How to access PDF files].

This report details the quality of nutritional care in Scotland's care homes based on an analysis of inspections from 303 care homes, complaint investigations and enforcement action. Eating and drinking is an important part of everyone's daily life. Meals are social occasions and should be enjoyable. We published this report to make people more aware of the standards of good practice we expect all care homes to follow and to report that a lot more work needs to be done to improve people's eating, drinking and nutritional care across care homes in Scotland.

Social Care Institute for Excellence (2009) SCIE Guide 15 : Dignity in care : Nutritional care, London: SCIE

Read Dignity in Care: Nutritional care on the SCIE website.

The "Dignity in Care Guide" has been extended to provide guidance on nutritional care for the social care sector. This section of the guide aims to examine why the problem of malnutrition in older people persists, despite a raft of policy and guidance; offer some solutions to the various problems that prevent change from happening; highlight the key messages from guidance on nutrition, and ensure that guidance is accessible to the social care sector by providing links to key documents.

Age UK (2010) Still hungry to be heard: the scandal of people in later life becoming malnourished in hospital, London: Age UK

Read Still Hungry To Be Heard: The Scandal of People in Later Life Becoming Malnourished in Hospital on the Age UK website.

The campaign page includes a link to the report "Still Hungry to be Heard" (2010) and "Seven Steps to End Malnutrition in Hospital".

Caroline Walker Trust (2004) Eating Well for Older People: Practical and Nutritional Guidelines for Food in Residential and Nursing Homes and for Community Meals (2nd edition), Abbots Langley: Caroline Walker Trust

This report sets out nutritional guidelines for food prepared for older people in residential and nursing accommodation, and for community meals.The guidelines are intended for caterers, manager/matrons, cooks, chefs, residential care managers and managers of services providing meals at home.

Read Eating Well for Older People: Practical and Nutritional Guidelines for Food in Residential and Nursing Homes and for Community Meals (PDF 1.7MB) on the Caroline Walker Trust website [How to access PDF files].

Dickinson, A.M., Welch, C., and Ager, L. (2006) Improving the Health of Older People: Implementing Patient-Focused Mealtime Practice, in Shaw, T. and Sanders, K. (editors) Foundation of Nursing Studies Dissemination Series, 3 (10), pp.1-4.

Read Improving the Health of Older People: Implementing Patient-Focused Mealtime Practice (PDF 109KB) on the Foundation of Nursing Studies website. [How to access PDF files].

This report outlines a project to implement patient focused mealtimes for older people within a hospital unit.

European Nutrition for Health Alliance, British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition and International Longevity Centre - UK (2006) Malnutrition Among Older People in the Community: Policy Recommendations for Change, London: ENHA.

Read Malnutrition Among Older People in the Community: Policy Recommendations for Change (PDF 138KB) on the European Nutrition for Health Alliance website.[How to access PDF files].

This report contains policy recommendations for changing the way in which malnutrition amongst older people in the community is treated.

Water UK (2005) Water for Healthy Ageing: Hydration Best Practice Toolkit for Care Homes, London: Water UK.

Read Water for Healthy Ageing: Hydration Best Practice Toolkit for Care Homes (PDF 1.33MB) on the Water UK website. [How to access PDF files].

This toolkit is designed to assist care managers and other service providers to encourage hydration best practice in the care of older people. It includes a review of the evidence for the benefits of good hydration in older people, tips on improving water consumption, and a hydration awareness quiz for residents and staff. It is possible to download the full toolkit or to download individual sections as separate documents from the Water UK website.

Library catalogue search: Nutrition and older people

Go to the RCN library catalogue for details of books and reports on this subject held in the RCN libraries. Some of these items are available online: select 'URL' to link to them. (You may be asked to login to the RCN website to access some e-books, which are available to RCN members). RCN members may borrow in person or by post. Please contact RCN Library and Information Services: www.rcn.org.uk/library if you would like to borrow any of these books.

Walsh, G. (2007) Developing Practice Through Action Learning to Improve the Nutritional Status of Nursing Home Residents, London: Foundation of Nursing Studies.

Read Developing Practice Through Action Learning to Improve the Nutritional Status of Nursing Home Residents (PDF 487KB) on the Foundation of Nursing Studies website. [How to access PDF files]

The final report of a project to improve the nutritional status of residents at a nursing home through staff development using action learning. The process is described and reflections on implications for practice and the use of action learning are made.