This survey describes perspectives of patients and stakeholders on patient food and satisfaction with food provision. Summary prevalence among older people in hospitals varies widely from •Malnutrition 5.3% to 32%. of malnutrition in hospital settings ranges from 32.9% to 55%. •Risk factors to malnutrition in hospital settings include long overnight fast, being •Risk female, living alone, few eating episodes, and not cooking independently. to nutritional care in hospitals include loneliness in nutritional care, a need •Barriers for competence in nutritional care, low flexibility in food service practices, system failure in nutritional care and ignoring nutritional care. with feeding is a significant risk factor to malnutrition older people in •Assistance medical wards. at risk of malnutrition during their stay in hospital lack sufficient nutritional •Patients support at discharge. factors that are associated with reduced meal intake in hospitalised patients are •Main reduced intake during the previous week, confinement to bed, female sex, younger age, older age and low body mass index. increases length of stay in hospital, readmissions rates and mortality. •Malnutrition cost associated with patients at nutritional risk at discharge is significantly •Healthcare higher than well-nourished patients. of malnutrition is significantly linked to poorer quality of life. •Risk anxiety (anxiety about ability to obtain enough food) is significantly higher •Food during hospitalisation relative to prior admission of patients into hospital.
This survey describes perspectives of patients and stakeholders on patient food and satisfaction with food provision. Summary •Malnutrition prevalence among older people in hospitals varies widely from 5.3% to 32%. •Risk of malnutrition in hospital settings ranges from 32.9% to 55%. •Risk factors to malnutrition in hospital settings include long overnight fast, being female, living alone, few eating episodes, and not cooking independently. •Barriers to nutritional care in hospitals include loneliness in nutritional care, a need for competence in nutritional care, low flexibility in food service practices, system failure in nutritional care and ignoring nutritional care. •Assistance with feeding is a significant risk factor to malnutrition older people in medical wards. •Patients at risk of malnutrition during their stay in hospital lack sufficient nutritional support at discharge. •Main factors that are associated with reduced meal intake in hospitalised patients are reduced intake during the previous week, confinement to bed, female sex, younger age, older age and low body mass index. •Malnutrition increases length of stay in hospital, readmissions rates and mortality. •Healthcare cost associated with patients at nutritional risk at discharge is significantly higher than well-nourished patients. •Risk of malnutrition is significantly linked to poorer quality of life. •Food anxiety (anxiety about ability to obtain enough food) is significantly higher during hospitalisation relative to prior admission of patients into hospital.