TAKING ACTION:

Resources and tools available to assist in helping to prevent, detect, and treat malnutrition

The following resources are designed to support management, unit staff and food service department employees in overcoming barriers and / or influencing decision makers as we all play a role in taking action to reduce the risks and impact caused by malnutrition.

Organizational Commitment

• Implementation Supports: Get Ready
• Raising Awareness: Healthcare Professionals & Decision-Makers
• Becoming Food Aware in Hospital: Best practices for a multi-level approach to improve the culture of nutrition in hospitals
• Success Stories
• Implementation Supports: Engagement
• ASPEN-HCUP-Infographic-MAW201
• US-UK Malnutrition Infographic
• ASPEN-Malnutrition Matters Education Program for Providers

Patient Engagement

The following resources will assist in creating awareness and supporting prevention of malnutrition in in the public (including patients and families).

• Raising Awareness: Public
• ASPEN Malnutrition Awareness Week: Ask About Your Nutrition
• ASPEN Malnutrition Awareness Week: Ask About Your Child's Nutrition
• ASPEN: How to Spot and Talk About Symptoms That Could Mean You're Malnourished
• The Importance of Nutrition to Prevent and Treat Low Muscle Mass

Nutrition Interventions

The following resources will assist in creating awareness and supporting prevention of malnutrition in in the public (including patients and families).

• Nutrition Screening

  • Hospital Care/INPAC - Screening

• Implementation

  • Integrated Nutrition Pathway for Acute Care (INPAC) - INPAC is an evidence and consensus based algorithm developed by Canadian clinicians and researchers to detect, monitor, and treat malnutrition in acute care patients. INPAC is considered a minimum standard to meeting the nutritional needs of patients. The INPAC Toolkit provides the knowledge and tools needed to take practical steps that will lead to big nutritional change for hospital patients. 
  • Implementation Supports: Adopt

• Assessment (SGA)

  • Hospital Care/INPAC - Assessment/SGA

• Oral Nutrition Supplementation

  • Medical Nutrition International Industry - Oral Nutritional Supplements

• Factors affecting intake

  • Barriers to Food Intake in Hospital
  • Table Manners and Menus

• Nutrition in the Community

  • Primary & Community Care  
  • Food is Medicine: From Hospital to Home

Food Services & Practices

The following resources will assist in planning and delivery of hospital foodservices to help prevent and treat malnutrition.

• Food in Healthcare
• Collaborating to Make Meals Matter Using Mealtime Strategies
  Poster created by Alberta Health Services, Nutrition and Food Services
• Protected Mealtimes Video – A must watch to protect the patient
  2-part YouTube video (both parts run together) provides an overview of ‘protected mealtimes’ in NHS hospitals – a period of time over lunch and supper when activities on the wards stop to allow patients to eat in a comfortable environment.