Malnutrition Week October 7-11, 2024

October 7-11, 2024 is Canadian Malnutrition Awareness Week. This year’s theme is:

ACT – Advocate – Collaborate – Transform. This theme focuses on strategies to advocate for better nutrition care across healthcare settings.

 One example of how we can ACT and improve nutrition care is the recent purchase of a metabolic cart for patients at the Brandon Regional Health Center. The dietitians advocated purchasing this new equipment and collaborated with physicians and management to write a proposal. It was approved and purchased by the BRHC Foundation, transforming nutrition care for acute care patients. It gives the Dietitian an accurate measure of a patient’s nutrition needs. This allows the Dietitians to prescribe the best nutrition plan and plays a role in getting patients better and home sooner.

Another group that can benefit from ACT is older adults living in the community where 1 in 3 are at nutrition risk. Family and friends can Advocate if they notice weight or muscle loss, loss of appetite, frailty, or mental health issues. If these signs are present, Collaborate with health care providers such as Doctors, Nurses, and Dietitians.  With help addressing these issues, their life can be transformed by improved independence, immunity and decreasing the need to go to the hospital.

ACT is important with children, too. Up to 1 in 3 children admitted to hospital are malnourished.  If you have a child in hospital, advocate by asking if weight, height or length (and head circumference in children under two years old) have been checked. When you go home, collaborate with the healthcare team and ask for a nutrition plan. Ask to meet with a Dietitian if you need help or have questions. This can Transform your child’s experience by improving growth and recovery and possibly resulting in a shorter stay in hospital.

Nutrition is important at all stages of life; if you have a concern, remember to ACT!