Project set up to prevent malnutrition in later life.

By Kat Keogh NURSES WILL be tackling the ‘hidden problem’ of malnutrition in older people as part of a government-funded pilot programme launched in England last month. The Malnutrition Prevention Project will target the over-65s with a body mass index below the healthy range of 18.5-25, and those who are losing weight without trying. Hospital, community and practice nurses in Salford and the London borough of Lambeth will work with older people and healthcare professionals to reduce malnutrition by improving diagnosis and treatment of the condition. The government is funding the pilot, which will last for nine to 12 months. If successful, the programme will be introduced nationally, as part of the government’s response to the Francis report. Almost one million older people in England are malnourished or are at risk, according to the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN). The association says that nine out of ten malnourished older people are living in the community. Malnutrition makes people susceptible to poor health, with around 30 per cent of older patients already malnourished on admission to acute hospitals.