Resources for Occupational Therapists

Malnutrition Pathway Primary Care Network Portal

PCN RESOURCES HOME PAGE RESOURCES A-Z RETURN TO MAIN SITE

Occupational therapists support people of all ages with problems resulting from physical, mental, social, or developmental difficulties. They suggest interventions that help people find ways to continue with everyday activities that are important to them. Many of the groups they are working with will be at particular risk of malnutrition especially the frail elderly and those with long term conditions. Occupational therapists can assist in identifying and preventing malnutrition in the following ways:

Assessing whether an individual is able to access food and drink, can feed themselves, has appropriate equipment/cooking facilities for eating and drinking and the ability to prepare food

Checking that individuals have assistance when needed from carers, agencies and social link prescribers to access food and create meals

Discussing eating and drinking difficulties with individuals and referring to other members of the multi-disciplinary team, such as dietitians, for specialist advice

The Malnutrition Pathway has produced a useful list of questions to assist you in selecting the most appropriate course of action and dietary advice resources for the individual GO TO QUESTION SHEET

The British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN) has a useful ONLINE SCREENING TOOL to be used with individuals who are experiencing unexplained weight loss or are experiencing a loss of appetite/poor appetite and not eating well. It is simple to follow; enter current weight and height and the weight they were 3 – 6 months ago before illness/lost weight. The calculation gives advice on further steps.

If an individual is identified as at risk of malnutrition can the potential causes be identified? Is it related to accessing food, preparing food and/or eating food, which you can support with? Or are causes and symptoms, which are interfering with the ability to eat and drink which you may need to refer the individual on to another member of the healthcare team for further assessment?

SYMPTOMS

The Malnutrition Pathway website also includes specific advice for healthcare professionals dealing with patients with a number of conditions:

PATIENTS WITH COPD

SARCOPENIA (LOW MUSCLE MASS)

PATIENT HAS SUFFERED A FALL

There is also a healthcare professional and corresponding patient leaflet in relation to the role of protein in the diet and protein rich foods available HERE

The Malnutrition Pathway has a number of patient and carer resources which are available free to download which may be helpful to patients. These include:

the Malnutrition Pathway Green Leaflet, low malnutrition risk, Eating Well

GREEN: Eating Well for those at low risk of malnutrition; how to eat a balanced diet.

DOWNLOAD

YELLOW: Your Guide to Making the Most of Your Food for those at medium risk of malnutrition; how to fortify foods.

DOWNLOAD

RED: Nutrition Drinks (known as oral nutritional supplements) for those at high risk of malnutrition and who have been prescribed oral nutritional supplements. This leaflet gives advice on how best to incorporate oral nutritional supplements into the diet.

DOWNLOAD

For those individuals who are experiencing symptoms that interfere with eating a number of tip sheets which give advice on how to manage eating with these symptoms are also available:

Reduced appetite, feeling full after eating small amounts, unexplained weight loss

Dry mouth, sore mouth, chewing difficulties, breathlessness

Loss of Taste/taste changes

Swallowing issues

Altered bowel habit – diarrhoea or constipation

Bothering smells

Heartburn, Reflux, Nausea, Vomiting

Anaemia

Fatigue, feeling tired