Nutrition champions weigh in to care homes

The 'Promoting Nutrition in Care Homes for Older People' programme was set up to provide an educational programme to help staff improve nutritional care. More than 50 Nutrition Champions have now completed the programme with 86% of those rating it as very good or excellent. Care Commission's Nurse Consultant Susan Polding-Clyde said: "Making sure older people have nutritious food and drinks is fundamental to good care. Malnourishment is a serious, life-threatening issue for people who are already very frail. "By bringing a fresh approach to nutrition, the lives of older people can be significantly improved. Simple steps such as presenting food more attractively, offering more of a choice on the menu and being more adaptable must be encouraged and I am glad our Nutrition Champions are making some headway in these areas. "We have already seen how campaigns by the likes of Jamie Oliver can have a dramatic impact on the eating habits of schoolchildren and adults, so it's very pleasing to see our own nutrition programme working with older people." A report on the programme found that Nutrition Champions who took part all came from different backgrounds in the care sector, from cooks and chefs to care assistants to managers. The 'Champions' took part in a three-day nutrition course during which they learned about the wider aspects of food and nutrition and the importance of recognising the needs of every individual resident. They also took part in a two-day 'change management' course, which gave them the knowledge and skills required to make a change in their care home. Each Champion has produced a summary of their project identifying what changes have been implemented in their home as a result of being involved in the programme. More than half of those who took part said they could identify improvements in their knowledge or skills around nutrition.