Malnutrition Waning Signs Missed For Up To 1.3m Elderly
– Experts warn of dangers of thin, frail ‘stereotype’
– Call for more conversations about appetite and weight with older people
– Ask people to think again about what constitutes healthy eating in older age
L New research shows three quarters of British adults (75%) wrongly believe it is typical to become thin and frail in later life (over the age of 65), and may therefore miss the warning signs of malnutrition in older relatives, friends and neighbours. The research also showed that 60% of people believe it is normal to begin losing your appetite over the age of 65. The survey also revealed that just over three quarters (78%) of British people would be uncomfortable talking to an older neighbour about their weight, and 41% would even be uncomfortable talking to a family member or friend.
One in ten people aged over 65 in the UK (1.3 million) are malnourished or at risk of becoming malnourished, and the vast majority (over 90%) still live at home rather than in a care or residential home. Older people are vulnerable to malnutrition because they are more likely to be ill or have hospital stays, and are also more likely to be bereaved or lonely, which are also risk factors as they may affect appetite or ability to prepare meals. However, it is not normal to lose weight or become thin and frail as you age, and unintended weight loss in later life should be investigated by a healthcare professional.
The management of malnutrition is estimated to cost at least £19.6 billion in England (£23.5 billion in the UK), which is about 15% of the total expenditure on health and social care.6 It costs more to manage malnutrition than it does to manage obesity.7
Dr Trevor Smith, President of the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN) says;
“This overwhelming public misconception that it is normal to become thin and frail as you age is extremely damaging. It is simply not true that it is normal to lose weight as you age, but if people believe it is, then they are not going to be looking out for the signs of someone being at risk of malnutrition. This will mean that people will ‘slip the net’ and miss the opportunity to seek timely advice or support that may be needed.”
“I am also really sad to see that so many people do not feel comfortable having conversations with older neighbours, and even friends and relatives, about their weight. These survey results show that people are embarrassed, too worried about causing offence. Perhaps it is seen as not very ‘British’. We are saying that while it may not come naturally to start these conversations, we need to get used to it quickly, as our rapidly ageing population is going to put more and more people at risk. Everyone should start using the BAPEN self-screening tool and other tools and resources that have been developed to help them have these conversations. You can find lots more information on our website at bapen.org.uk.”
UK Malnutrition Awareness Week is run by BAPEN and the Malnutrition Task Force to raise awareness of the scale of the problem of malnutrition in the UK. The two organisations are calling for members of the public to:
- Be clear that losing weight is not a normal part of ageing
- Look out for older relatives, friends and neighbours
- Check their own weight and the weight of older people they believe may be at risk using this malnutrition self-screening tool https://www.malnutritionselfscreening.org/self-screening.html
The cost of managing somebody with malnutrition is two to three times greater than that of somebody who does not have malnutrition.6 Older people who are malnourished are twice as likely to visit their GP and have more hospital admissions and longer hospital stays than someone who is well-nourished.
Professor Jane Murphy, Professor of Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at Bournemouth University says, “People perhaps do not realise that malnutrition costs the NHS more than obesity. With our NHS already under pressure, and a rapidly ageing population, there is a very clear need for better public health messaging that will help people spot the signs of malnutrition before it is too late.”
Additional survey findings included:
- A third (33%) of British adults wrongly believe that only people who live in poverty are vulnerable to malnutrition.
- A quarter (25%) of British adults wrongly believe malnutrition is more frequently diagnosed in children than in adults (in fact one in ten older people are at risk of malnutrition).
- Almost half (47%) of British adults have never had a conversation with an older relative, friend or neighbour about:
o How well they are eating (i.e. nutritious, healthy food etc.)
o How frequently they are eating
o Whether they are enjoying their food
o If they have lost weight
o If they are keeping track of their weight
o If they are able to cook and shop for themselves
