Act now on malnourished aged residents

Mounting pressure on Canberra’s health care system has emerged as a new study finds one in five Australian Capital Territory (ACT) residents living in aged care homes is malnourished.

As the federal election election looms, dietitians are calling on the federal government to better treat and prevent this national health problem.

Presenting her research at the Dietitians Association of Australia’s (DAA) National Conference in Canberra this week, researcher Jane Kellett says 100 older adults across five residential aged care facilities (RACFs) in the ACT region were assessed for signs of malnutrition. Twenty two per cent were found to be moderately or severely malnourished.

“Sadly, malnutrition is not just in Canberra but rife in every state and territory. And we know that our older Australians are most at risk. As the population ages, this debilitating health issue is more important than ever,” Ms Kellett says.

A federal government report states the number of Australians over the age of 65 years is set to double to almost seven million in the next 30 years.

“Early recognition and awareness of malnutrition is imperative. As our population ages, good nutrition means fewer hospital admissions and readmissions, better health outcomes and improved quality of life,” Ms Kellett says.

DAA is echoing these concerns for older Australians. In a recent submission to the government, the Association is urging both political parties to put nationally agreed nutrition standards in place to improve the quality of care in older Australians who either receive home care packages or live in RACFs.

With more than 230,000 Australians in permanent residential aged care, DAA chief executive, Claire Hewat, claims the government must act now.

“Preventing and treating malnutrition will cut taxpayer health dollars by keeping all older residents in their homes for longer,” Ms Hewat says.

“If the government is serious about the health and wellbeing of our older generation – and keeping money in taxpayer wallets, a national program for screening, assessing, and treating this preventable health problem is a must,” she adds.