Good nutrition and fluid intake is critical for health and well-being throughout our lives. The consequences of not eating healthily can be serious and this is especially true as people get older. Effectively addressing malnutrition in an ageing population can help to prevent additional health problems and social care needs developing, thereby enabling more older people to live healthier and happier lives independently in their own homes.
Over recent years both the policy and political emphasis in relation to food policy has focussed on obesity, particularly amongst children and young people. While important, we believe equal emphasis and resources need to be dedicated to older people food issues. A national strategic focus is required with definitive actions to both raise awareness and tackle the problem. It is hoped this will then eventually see the cultural change that is needed if the problem of poor nutrition amongst some of the most vulnerable older people in our communities is going to be overcome.
2. What have you recently undertaken or valued to help improve food access or the nutrition of older people?
One of our legacy organisations, the Welsh Consumer Council, conducted research and campaigned on this issue for a number of years. Their research found an overall consensus that people over 75 and living independently have difficult in gaining access to a healthy diet. Barriers which were thought to be the most critical included:
* physical/mobility problems
* living on low/limited income
* lack of local shops selling healthy food
* lack of transport
* lack of motivation.
Mobility problems were not just about being able to get to shops but being able to prepare and cook meals in the home. In order to start to tackle these issues, the Welsh Consumer Council recommended:
* encouraging supermarkets to provide more services for older people (eg. home delivery; help in-store; smaller portion sizes);
* improving door-to-door community transport;
* promoting intergenerational activities to increase social interaction;
* raising awareness of malnutrition amongst vulnerable older people including recognising early warning signs.
The latter led to further work on what needs to be done to tackle malnutrition among vulnerable older people living in the community in Wales. Recommendations from this work highlighted the need for:
* a national strategic focus to tackling the issue of malnutrition among vulnerable older people;
* the need to increase awareness amongst professionals and the public alike;
* the need to ensure the links between nutrition and good health are embedded into workforce development (in the health/social care sector and beyond)
* the need to explore possibilities of more simplified nutritional screening
* the need to improve guidance on existing care assessment systems.
3. What are your future plans to address issues raised by the Summit?
As the new consumer champion for Wales, Consumer Focus Wales will continue to push for much-needed policy change in this area (as detailed above) by working with partners in Wales and across the UK.
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