At the back end of last year, before heading off for the Christmas break, the Malnutrition Task Force hosted a unique meeting.
The meeting was unique as it saw the Task Force’s Founders coming together with project group members from the Malnutrition Prevention Programme’s five pilot sites.
The project group members gave some really interesting presentations on the work they’ve done so far to tackle malnutrition in their local areas (the above photo shows the Kent members presenting). It was the first time the Founders had met the members and so they had some probing questions about their presentations afterwards! Nonetheless, the Founders agreed that a lot of inspiring work had already been done, in some cases in a very short space of time (a few of the pilots had only launched within the six months previous).
Some highlights from their work, presented on the day, which you can view include:
In Kent, local Age UKs noted that older people who attended their lunch clubs but not other services could be at risk of malnutrition. They have taken to weighing some of those ‘at risk’ regularly and suggesting interventions where low weight or weight loss is an issue. Click here for the video.
Salford have trailed a shopping trip which sees dieticians and Age UK staff taking older people around a local Asda, offering them advice on nutritious goods. See here for the video.
Lambeth and Southwark created a page on a local online directory, signposting older people to food and nutrition services in their area. Click here to view.
As part of Gateshead’s work to raise awareness of good hospital food and malnutrition locally, Sharon Stuart from Age UK Gateshead went on local ITV News Tyne Tees to talk about the issue. See it here.
We’ll be updating the pilot sites’ pages with this and more of the work they’ve done soon.
All in all, it was a really insightful day – and a nice respite from the festive shopping!
The Malnutrition Task Force team
