[Resource] Guide to Starting a Nutrition Check-up Program for Older Adults

Guide to Starting a Nutrition Check-up Program for Older Adults 

About one in three older adults in Canada are at nutrition risk, which means they are at risk of having malnutrition or other issues such as frailty, weakness, poor immunity, and decreased capacity to recover from injury^1. Dietitians in Nutrition Services are working to find out who is at nutrition risk by expanding access to screening with the online Nutrition Check-up for Older Adults. 

A new guide is now available to support healthcare and community partners who are interested in implementing a nutrition check-up program to help older adults stay strong and healthy. 

Why is it important? 

Malnutrition among older adults is a major public health concern in Alberta. Approximately half of older adults admitted to hospital are diagnosed with malnutrition^2. However, malnutrition doesn’t start in hospitals — it often develops when older adults are in their homes and communities. 

Hear Linda’s story. 

Learn more: 

Visit ahs.ca/nutritionscreening or contact publichealth.nutrition@ahs.ca 

References

1Ramage-Morin PL, Garriguet D. Nutritional risk among older Canadians. Health Rep. 2013 Mar;24(3):3-13. PMID: 24257971 

2Allard, J.P., Keller, H., Jeejeebhoy, K.N., Laporte, M., Duerksen, D.R., Gramlich, L., Payette, H., Bernier, P., Vesnaver, E., Davidson, B., Teterina, A. and Lou, W. (2016), Malnutrition at Hospital Admission—Contributors and Effect on Length of Stay. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 40: 487-497. https://doi.org/10.1177/0148607114567902