Action 5.28 states
The workforce uses the systems for preparation and distribution of food and fluids to:
- Meet patients’ nutritional needs and requirements
- Monitor the nutritional care of patients at risk
- Identify, and provide access to, nutritional support for patients who cannot meet their nutritional requirements with food alone
- Support patients who require assistance with eating and drinking
Intent
The workforce ensures that the nutrition and hydration needs of patients are met.
Reflective questions
How does the health service organisation collect and report data on nutrition risk screening and assessment?
What information is reported to the executive about the nutritional care of at-risk patients?
What support is given to patients who require nutritional support or assistance with eating and drinking?
Key tasks
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Monitor the nutritional care of patients.
-
Provide assistance to patients to ensure that their nutrition needs are met.
Strategies for improvement
Hospitals
A nutrition risk assessment is part of the organisation’s screening and assessment processes, and involves:
- Conducting screening on admission and weekly during an episode of care if care changes or if the patient’s condition changes, or at routine review
- Considering nutrition risk such as malnutrition and dehydration, dysphagia, special dietary needs, food intolerance or allergy
- Documenting the results of nutrition risk screening and assessment.
Where a nutrition assessment is required, consider:
- Weight and intake history
- Physical assessment
- Condition of the mouth, teeth or dentures
- Ability to swallow safely
- Ability to open packages
- Ability to self-feed
- Nutritional impact of symptoms of disease or treatment.
Monitor the nutritional care of patients at risk
Ensure that the nutrition care for each patient is planned and documented. For patients with, or at risk of, malnutrition or dehydration, increase the level of food and fluid intake, and nutritional status monitoring. Act when poor oral intake, weight loss or other change in nutritional status is detected.
Consider the role of nutrition and hydration in planning and providing end-of-life care. This includes following advance care plans for nutritional support, and recognising a drop in food and fluid intake as part of the dying process.
Monitor patients to ensure that periods of fasting before and after surgery and tests are minimised.
Identify, and provide access to, nutritional support for patients who cannot meet nutritional requirements with food alone
Consider the need for nutritional support such as oral nutrition supplements, enteral nutrition or parenteral nutrition when oral intake is inadequate or contraindicated.
Support patients who require assistance with eating and drinking
Monitor patients’ food intake and their capacity to independently eat and drink, and help when required.
Day Procedure Services
Nutrition risk screening may be required before, or on, presentation at day procedure services such as chemotherapy or dialysis units. Patients using these services may need to be referred for nutrition assessment. Consider including nutritional planning in the patient’s healthcare plan. Refer to the hospitals tab for detailed implementation strategies and examples of evidence for this action.
MPS & Small Hospitals
A nutrition risk assessment is part of the organisation’s screening and assessment processes, and involves:
- Conducting screening on admission and weekly during an episode of care if care changes or if the patient’s condition changes, or at routine review
- Considering nutrition risk such as malnutrition and dehydration, dysphagia, special dietary needs, food intolerance or allergy
- Documenting the results of nutrition risk screening and assessment.
If a nutrition assessment is required, consider:
- Weight and intake history
- Physical assessment
- Condition of the mouth, teeth or dentures
- Ability to swallow safely
- Ability to open packages
- Ability to self-feed
- Nutritional impact of symptoms of disease or treatment.
Monitor the nutritional care of patients at risk
Ensure that the nutritional care for each patient is planned and documented. For patients with, or at risk of, malnutrition or dehydration, increase the level of food and fluid intake, and nutritional status monitoring. Act when poor oral intake, weight loss or other change in nutritional status is detected.
Consider the role of nutrition and hydration in planning and providing end-of-life care. This includes following advance care plans for nutritional support, and recognising a drop in food and fluid intake as part of the dying process.
Monitor patients to ensure that periods of fasting before and after surgery and tests are minimised.
Identify, and provide access to, nutritional support for patients who cannot meet nutritional requirements with food alone
Consider the need for nutritional support such as oral nutrition supplements, enteral nutrition or parenteral nutrition when oral intake is inadequate or contraindicated.
Support patients who require assistance with eating and drinking
Monitor patients’ food intake and their capacity to independently eat and drink, and help when required.
Hospitals
A nutrition risk assessment is part of the organisation’s screening and assessment processes, and involves:
- Conducting screening on admission and weekly during an episode of care if care changes or if the patient’s condition changes, or at routine review
- Considering nutrition risk such as malnutrition and dehydration, dysphagia, special dietary needs, food intolerance or allergy
- Documenting the results of nutrition risk screening and assessment.
Where a nutrition assessment is required, consider:
- Weight and intake history
- Physical assessment
- Condition of the mouth, teeth or dentures
- Ability to swallow safely
- Ability to open packages
- Ability to self-feed
- Nutritional impact of symptoms of disease or treatment.
Monitor the nutritional care of patients at risk
Ensure that the nutrition care for each patient is planned and documented. For patients with, or at risk of, malnutrition or dehydration, increase the level of food and fluid intake, and nutritional status monitoring. Act when poor oral intake, weight loss or other change in nutritional status is detected.
Consider the role of nutrition and hydration in planning and providing end-of-life care. This includes following advance care plans for nutritional support, and recognising a drop in food and fluid intake as part of the dying process.
Monitor patients to ensure that periods of fasting before and after surgery and tests are minimised.
Identify, and provide access to, nutritional support for patients who cannot meet nutritional requirements with food alone
Consider the need for nutritional support such as oral nutrition supplements, enteral nutrition or parenteral nutrition when oral intake is inadequate or contraindicated.
Support patients who require assistance with eating and drinking
Monitor patients’ food intake and their capacity to independently eat and drink, and help when required.
Day Procedure Services
Nutrition risk screening may be required before, or on, presentation at day procedure services such as chemotherapy or dialysis units. Patients using these services may need to be referred for nutrition assessment. Consider including nutritional planning in the patient’s healthcare plan. Refer to the hospitals tab for detailed implementation strategies and examples of evidence for this action.
MPS & Small Hospitals
A nutrition risk assessment is part of the organisation’s screening and assessment processes, and involves:
- Conducting screening on admission and weekly during an episode of care if care changes or if the patient’s condition changes, or at routine review
- Considering nutrition risk such as malnutrition and dehydration, dysphagia, special dietary needs, food intolerance or allergy
- Documenting the results of nutrition risk screening and assessment.
If a nutrition assessment is required, consider:
- Weight and intake history
- Physical assessment
- Condition of the mouth, teeth or dentures
- Ability to swallow safely
- Ability to open packages
- Ability to self-feed
- Nutritional impact of symptoms of disease or treatment.
Monitor the nutritional care of patients at risk
Ensure that the nutritional care for each patient is planned and documented. For patients with, or at risk of, malnutrition or dehydration, increase the level of food and fluid intake, and nutritional status monitoring. Act when poor oral intake, weight loss or other change in nutritional status is detected.
Consider the role of nutrition and hydration in planning and providing end-of-life care. This includes following advance care plans for nutritional support, and recognising a drop in food and fluid intake as part of the dying process.
Monitor patients to ensure that periods of fasting before and after surgery and tests are minimised.
Identify, and provide access to, nutritional support for patients who cannot meet nutritional requirements with food alone
Consider the need for nutritional support such as oral nutrition supplements, enteral nutrition or parenteral nutrition when oral intake is inadequate or contraindicated.
Support patients who require assistance with eating and drinking
Monitor patients’ food intake and their capacity to independently eat and drink, and help when required.