Nutrition Is The Bedrock Of Good Care, Says Help The Aged, UK

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 01 Aug 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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Reacting to figures obtained by the Conservatives, which show the number of errors relating to poor nutrition in NHS hospitals has almost doubled in two years, Charlotte Potter, Senior Policy Officer at Help the Aged, says:

"A high increase like this might be a result of better reporting of errors, which would be a good thing. If we know more about what's going wrong, we are in a better position to address the problem.

"However, nearly 30,000 errors relating to poor nutrition in hospitals is shocking. Nutrition is the bedrock of good care and recovery from illness - older people are at particular risk of malnutrition and will struggle to respond to treatment or recover well if they are malnourished.

"To achieve a world class health service it is absolutely essential that we get the basics like nutrition right."

Help the Aged is the charity fighting to free disadvantaged older people in the UK and overseas from poverty, isolation, neglect and ageism. It campaigns to raise public awareness of the issues affecting older people and to bring about policy change. The Charity delivers a range of services: information and advice, home support and community living, including international development work. These are supported by its paid-for services and fundraising activities - which aim to increase funding in the future to respond to the growing unmet needs of disadvantaged older people. Help the Aged also funds vital research into the health issues and experiences of older people to improve the quality of later life.

Help the Aged urgently needs donations and support to help it in the increasingly challenging fight to free disadvantaged older people from poverty, isolation and neglect.

Help the Aged