BDA News

100,000 Older People in Scotland starving in their own homes every day

Updated 25th April 2012

The British Dietetic Association (BDA) has successfully tabled a hard-hitting motion at this year’s Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) to highlight levels of malnutrition in older people living in their own homes, which has been unanimously supported and passed.

This year’s STUC took place in Inverness 23-25 April 2012.  The BDA motion (number 85) was heard on Tuesday 24th April.

Highlighting “this scandalous hunger gap” at the 115th STUC forms part of the BDA’s current campaign called Mind the Hunger Gap (www.mindthehungergap.com), specifically created to throw light on this national problem.

Part of the campaign involves highlighting the “national disgrace” that involves around 1,000,000 (one million) older people in the UK suffering from malnutrition.  This figure does not include those older people in a hospital or care setting, it is those older people living in our community or, as they have become, the ‘invisible’ population.

Malnutrition does not discriminate and impacts on people regardless of age, gender or race.

While The World Health Organization cites malnutrition as the greatest single threat to the world’s public health, it is still widely believed that malnutrition is restricted to the third world population.  Quite simply, it is not. 

For the first time, the BDA launched Mind the Hunger Gap as an online-based campaign and individuals will be directed to the campaign website (www.mindthehungergap.com) to download various materials and campaign tools to highlight the issue locally, while the BDA will raise the issue on a national level.

Speaking about this year’s STUC, Marney Quinn, Scotland Constituency Council Member for the BDA, and ‘mover’ of the motion, said:

“It is a national disgrace that in today’s society, we have so many older people in our communities going hungry in their own homes.  Quite simply, we are talking about an ‘invisible’ population, suffering day in and day out.

“This scandalous hunger gap is impacting on around one million in the UK every single day, which equates to around 100,000 people in Scotland.

““The STUC is a tremendous platform to highlight this in Scotland and we called on our colleagues to support the BDA’s Mind the Hunger Gap campaign.  I thank those attending the STUC for doing so and in such a magnificent manner.”

Information about STUC motion and speech in Notes to the Editor below.

ENDS

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For more information / interview requests, please contact Steven Jenkins the BDA Press Office on: 0800 048 1714

Notes to the Editor:

• Visit the BDA website at www.bda.uk.com.

• Registered dietitians are the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat diet and nutrition problems at an individual and wider public health level. Uniquely, dietitians use the most up to date public health and scientific research on food, health and disease, which they translate into practical guidance to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.

• Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be statutorily regulated, and governed by an ethical code, to ensure that they always work to the highest standard. Dietitians work in the NHS, private practice, industry, education, research, sport, media, public relations, publishing, Non Government Organisations and government. Their advice influences food and health policy across the spectrum from government, local communities and individuals.

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STUC

The STUC motion reads:

“That this Congress is shocked to learn that an estimated one million older people in the UK eat less than one meal a day.

“This scandalous ‘hunger gap’ contributes to the massive problem of malnutrition that impacts on people regardless of age, gender or race, costing the NHS over £13 billion – twice the burden of obesity.

“The British Dietetic Association’s ‘Mind the Hunger Gap’ campaign highlights this major public health issue and will focus particularly on the plight of older people living in our communities.

“Poverty, social isolation and fragmented services have left many older people, a high proportion of whom are women, excluded and invisible.

“Dietitians, the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat nutrition problems, have the expertise to lead the nutrition pathway across the health and social care system.

“Congress calls upon all trade unions, Scottish local authorities, the voluntary sector, care providers and the Scottish Government to sign up to the ‘Mind the Hunger Gap’ campaign and work with us to eliminate this unrecognised problem.”

 

Marney Quinn’s speech is as follows:

Marney Quinn, for the British Dietetic Association trade Union presenting motion 85 ‘Mind the Hunger Gap’

The World Health Organisation states that malnutrition is the greatest single treat to global public health and while it is convenient for us to believe that malnutrition is restricted to third-world populations, this is simple not the case.

In the United Kingdom today, more than 3 million people are believed to be at risk of malnutrition and the vast majority, over 90%, are living often unrecognised within our communities.

Malnutrition impacts on peoples’ lives regardless of age, gender or race, however malnutrition is most common in older people and it is estimated that one million older people in the UK eat less than one decent meal a day.

This scandal of hidden malnutrition is a major public health issue that urgently needs attention, therefore, the British Dietetic Association’s ‘Mind the Hunger Gap ‘campaign aims to highlight and focus particularly on the plight of older people at risk of malnutrition living in the community.

Having enough to eat and  drink is one of the most fundamental of human needs but many vulnerable older people do not have these basic needs met, it is poverty, social isolation and fragmented services that have left many older people excluded, invisible and hungry. 

Our Scottish population is an ageing population from 2004 to 2031 the number of people over the age of 75 is projected to increase by 75% from 7% to over 12%.

Malnutrition causes a wide range of psychological and physical problems including low mood and self neglect;  which can be difficulty keeping warm  will reduce muscle strength and weaken immune responses that increase the likelihood of infections and illness, coupled with a longer recover time and slower wound healing.

As a result, the malnourished access healthcare frequently. They visit their GP more often, have significantly higher rates of hospital admissions that tend to be of longer duration and they are likely to be re-admitted to hospital if they are discharged.

Overall, malnutrition costs the NHS over thirteen billion pounds annually similar to some of the figures suggested for the cost of Obesity.

And yet the massive financial burden caused by malnutrition can we managed by identifying and providing good nutrition for those in need.

Now is the time to act, our population is aging our hospital care is increasing moving to a community setting.

The recent Equality and Human Rights Commission inquiry into the home care system in England demonstrated many positive aspects of home care but also revealed failures including lack of support with eating and drinking.

Of great concern, the report also highlighted that, with social car budgets now devolved for local implementation, one – in – three have already cut back on home care services and a further one – in – five were likewise  planning to cut services within a year.

There is now an important opportunity to protect and enhance these vital services.

Dietitians are the only qualified health professionals that asses, diagnose and treat nutrition problems and we have the expertise to lead the nutrition pathway across the health and social care system.

We are keen to engage with key policy-makers and work in partnership with unions, whose members care deeply about the support and care they deliver, to plan effective solutions that include nutritional assessment and plan achievable treatment plans for alder people at risk of malnutrition.

In the first instance, we ask congress to call on politicians to protect at least one meal per day by ring-fencing funding to ensure that adequate meal provision continues to lie at the heart of community care.

Let’s act to eradicate malnutrition and remember show your support of this campaign and sign up to the spirit of ‘Mind the Hunger Gap’
Conference, I move!

Mind the Hunger Gap Facts & Figures

More than 3 million people in the UK are at risk of malnutrition with the vast majority, about 93%, living in the community setting, 5% in residential care and 2% in hospital

One million older people in the United Kingdom eat less than one meal a day.

Greater use of healthcare and costs associated with malnutrition mean:

• 65% more GP visits;
• 82% more hospital admissions;
• 30% longer hospital stay.

The health and social care costs in the United Kingdom directly associated with malnutrition comes to more than £13 billion per annum (based on 2007 prices).
                                                             
Problems associated with malnutrition include:

• Poorer immune responses, meaning the likelihood of infections and ill health is greatly increased.
• Reduced muscle strength.
• Weaker respiratory (breathing) muscles, which result in breathing problems and frequent chest infections.
• More difficulty keeping warm.
• Slower wound healing and longer time needed to recover from Illness.
• Low mood, little interest in everyday activities and self neglect.
• Increased amount of admissions and readmissions to hospital, and longer time spent on each admission.

In the fight against malnutrition, dietitians should:

• Provide specialised dietary advice.
• Be involved in the early stages once a patient has been screened.
• Be an integral member of the secondary and primary care teams.
• Help devise and implement effective nutrition policy locally.
• Take a lead in the coordinating a nutrition steering committee/group in the hospital and community environment to ensure provision of appropriate nutritional management, care pathways and monitoring happens.
• Offer appropriate nutrition advice on an individual/group level.                                                                      
• Train and support other healthcare professionals on how to identify risk of malnutrition.
• Assess an individual’s nutritional/dietary requirements.
• Contribute to delivering cost effective services.

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