Background and Aims
The project sought to address the urgent issue of malnutrition within Australian residential aged care homes by translating evidence-based interventions successfully implemented in the hospital and community settings, into scalable processes within aged care. We implemented a national, standardised approach within residential aged care to malnutrition screening, assessment and intervention to improve reporting, accountability and resident health outcomes.
What We Did
The NuW-Age research team has created and tested a new method to assess and address malnutrition in aged care residents without adding to staff workload. We screened 839 residents using traditional methods and 539 with the new AutoMal tool, identifying 197 (37%) as malnourished and providing them with nutritional interventions. AutoMal uses routine clinical data (BMI and weight changes) to quickly spot at-risk residents.
For residents identified as malnourished or at risk of malnutrition, a standardise malnutrition intervention pathway was adopted. This implementation project identified the need for clear pathways when providing food and nutritional care to residents.
Student dietitians, as part of the usual university placements, were trained and participated in this project. Their involvement has become an example of the importance of expanding placement experiences for dietetic students, to ensure they are well prepared for the workforce which will no doubt include care for older people.
Outcomes
This project has achieved:
- Expansion of industry collaborations to continue the project in other states and sectors, such as in-home care,
- Timely identification and intervention for malnutrition in participants,
- Raising awareness of malnutrition among partner aged care facilities via national and international dissemination
- Engaging with national consumer advocacy groups, who have expressed their gratitude and willingness to continue collaborating.
Impact on Aged Care Workforce
- Strengthened and expanded industry collaborations to enable continuation of this malnutrition project to other states, expansion to other sectors eg. home care and new partners.
- The establishment of an effective and efficient malnutrition screening tool that does not increase staff workload
- Timely malnutrition identification and intervention for the participants in this project
- Greater awareness of malnutrition amongst partner residential aged care sites both via the project itself and due to other work undertaken by the research team to advocate for this important area
- Establishment of a national consumer advisory group focused on nutrition for older people - those involved expressed their thanks for involvement and their willingness to continue to collaborate with the research team.
Resources Developed
The AutoMal malnutrition screening tool has been developed and is ready for national implementation, however funding is required for implementation. Further information regarding the AutoMal can be found via our website: https://www.nuw-age.com/.
Next Steps
Although the project funding has ended, our work continues. Future plans include:
- Ongoing reporting of malnutrition rates in aged care homes for early detection and intervention.
- Adapting AutoMal for use in home care settings.
- Developing frameworks to ensure successful nutrition interventions.
- Expanding partnerships with industry and aged care providers to find efficient nutrition solutions.
NuW-Age remains dedicated to tackling malnutrition and collaborates with consumer groups and industry partners. Led by Dr. Marie-Claire O’Shea and Dr. Jon Foo, our team also focuses on research in dementia, aged care, and co-design, with contributions from four early career researchers.
