Treatment of malnutrition in elderly.

• Always screen for malnutrition in the elderly.

• Treat the underlying medical conditions.

• Screen for delirium and dementia and manage them.

• Reduce drugs and minimise adverse drug reactions and drug to drug interactions.

• Diagnose the cause of pain and treat pain.

• Diagnose and treat nausea.

• Treat constipation.

• Assess swallowing safety.

• Good oral and dental hygiene.

• Diagnose and treat dry mouth.

• Have all meals sitting upright out of bed when possible.

• Give the older patients enough time to eat their meal.

• Set up meals with all packets of juice, sauces and butter opened.

• Document how much food was left uneaten and find out why.

• Present high quality meals as we would expect in a restaurant. Why should our elderly relatives have anything less!

• Use the best freshest ingredients, not frozen meals.

• Provide lost of extra sweets, cakes, chocolate biscuits and ice cream for extra calories.

• Dietician review of calorie/kilojoule requirements to improve nutrition and weight gain.

• Early mobility and exercise can increase appetite.

For more information read Dr Peter Lipski’s book “Your Elderly Parents Failing Health. Is It Ageing Or A Treatable Condition”.