Leading provider of meals to Care Homes, (one of the original founders of the Malnutrition Task Force), apetito, is supporting Nutrition and Hydration Week (June 14 – 21st 2021), and will be releasing a series of topical webcasts and podcasts to help raise awareness of the signs, dangers, and how to avoid malnutrition and dehydration.
Each day, there will be a different 5-minute webcast, which can also be listened to as a podcast through apetito’s website
Themes will include, ‘Hidden’ Hydration, the Warning Signs of Malnutrition and ‘what to look for’, as well as how the dining experience can effect nutrition.
Currently, there is estimated to be around three million people in the UK at risk of malnutrition. Dementia and Strokes can lead to swallowing difficulties, a condition otherwise known as dysphagia, which is a common cause of malnutrition. Worryingly four out of ten elderly patients admitted to hospital are malnourished. Many of these come from care homes or the wider community.
apetito’s in house dietician, Emily Stuart will host the podcasts, talking informally with clinical practitioners and influencers around the themes to provide help and support for those involved.
Joining Emily will be variety of guests, including Kate Allatt, an inspirational survivor of locked in syndrome, specialist malnutrition clinician, Grace Allmark, as well as apetito’s national accounts manager, Lisa Delaney.
Each podcast will provide easy to digest information on a different aspect of malnutrition, with the aim of raising awareness, supporting care homes, and educating its listeners.
There will be a new podcast available every day between 14-19 June. The line-up is as follows:
Monday: The Warning Signs of Malnutrition
Tuesday: The Impacts of eating Texture Modified Meals and their Importance
Wednesday: Hidden Hydration in Food
Thursday: The Importance of Plate Presentation
Friday: Importance of the Dining Experience and Socialisation
Speaking of the initiative, Emily Stuart reinforces the importance of ensuring good nutrition and hydration across elderly and vulnerable Care Home residents:
“Malnutrition is a health condition that many of us do not associate with a G8 country, yet it is a very widespread problem in the UK, especially within Care Homes. Releasing a series of podcast during Nutrition and Hydration Week is an opportunity for us, as meal providers to the elderly, to help educate our listeners about malnutrition and the importance of good hydration.
“We hope our podcasts will provide easy to access information for those caring for residents who may be struggling to intake the necessary nutrition.”
If you would like to download or share the apetito series of webcasts podcasts, please visit here.
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