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Malnutrition screening among elderly people in a community setting a best practice implementation project
Conference poster   Peer reviewed

Malnutrition screening among elderly people in a community setting a best practice implementation project

Dana Craven and Zachary Munn
Nutrition & dietetics, Vol.71(Supplement 1), pp.38-39
Dietitians Association of Australia National Conference, 31st (Brisbane, Australia, 15-May-2014–17-May-2014)
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia
2014
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12122
url
https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12122View
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Abstract

Nutrition and Dietetics Public Health and Health Services Food Sciences malnutrition elderly community
One in five older Australians living in private dwellings require assistance with basic daily care and activities. It is estimated that up to 30% of these elderly people living in the community are malnourished. A contributing factor to declining health and increased healthcare costs is malnutrition and surprisingly malnutrition is not always identified nor addressed. A home healthcare provider has identified the need to establish a process to perform malnutrition screening of clients and coordinate action plans for those identified at risk. This project aims to improve local practice by implementing evidencebased practice guidelines. To achieve this, the Joanna Briggs Institute Practical Application of Clinical Evidence Systems (PACES) and Getting Research into Practice (GRIP) program is being used to examine staff's compliance with criteria derived from best practice guidelines. The project follows a three-phase approach: baseline audit, implementation of evidence-based strategies and a follow up audit. Initial baseline audit data shows poor compliance with malnutrition screening (52%) and initiation of action plans when at risk clients are identified (27%). Best practice guidelines are currently being implemented and the follow up audit is scheduled to be conducted in December 2013. Ultimately this project aims to achieve 100% compliance with best practice guidelines for malnutrition screening leading to improved nutrition care and health outcomes for these community clients.

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