Providing training and support to care homes
Our Community Dietetic team provides training and support to care homes for older people in County Durham and Darlington. The service is delivered in a seamless way using quality standards for implementation and has been implemented in over 115 local care homes, training over 6,000 healthcare staff and 500 catering staff.
We work closely with local authorities to incorporate principles of implementing the service into care home commissioning contracts. Annually, each care home is audited against 17 quality standards and awarded an annual certificate, which is linked to funding in some local authorities.
Evaluation of care home services
Initial research identified that following training the prevalence of undernutrition in local care homes reduced from 44% to 38% of residents. However, resident care was negatively affected in homes when 'MUST' was implemented without appropriate training.
A service evaluation completed on 104 care homes (4,315 residents) over a 13 year period identified that, following training there was:
- A significant improvement in weight for residents at risk of undernutrition
- A significant reduction in the prevalence of undernutrition from 33% to 29%
- A 51% reduction in pressure ulcers
Care home training on identifying and treating undernutrition
Training is delivered as a 2 hour workshop in the care home, followed by the completion of a distance learning workbook (3-4 hours).
Course content includes:
- Introduction to the undernutrition training in care homes
- The nutritional needs of older people in care homes
- The impact of undernutrition in the elderly care homes
- Policy and national guidance on the identification and treatment of undernutrition in adults
- The identification and monitoring of undernutrition using 'MUST'
- Alternative measurements for monitoring height and weight
- Development of nutrition care plans
- The prevention and treatment of undernutrition using a food first approach
- The appropriate use and monitoring of nutritional supplements
- Good practice guidance for monitoring resident's dietary intakes
- Promoting good hydration
- Completing a dietary assessment
- Appropriate referral to a registered dietitian
Catering staff attend a six session specialist catering course on menu planning and special diets for older people.
Care home workshops are delivered in centralised training across care homes in County Durham and Darlington.
- British Dietetic Association: food fact sheets
- Malnutrition pathway
- Malnutrition taskforce