Malnutrition in Norway

• Published in: European geriatric medicine Vol. 2; no. 2; pp. 115 - 116
• Main Authors: Ihle-Hansen, H, Mowe, H, Fure, B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Masson SAS 2011
• Subjects: Elderly; Internal Medicine; Malnutrition; Norway; Nutritional support; Malnutrition; Norway; Elderly; Nutritional support
• ISSN: 1878-7649; 1878-7657
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eurger.2011.02.003

Abstract A high prevalence of malnutrition has been reported both in nursing homes and in hospitals, and people living in long-term care facilities and suffering from chronic diseases are at risk of developing malnutrition. In Scandinavia, the self-reported knowledge regarding management of insufficient nutritional practice is low. The use of systematic nutritional screening in hospitals in Norway is only 16%, and malnutrition is both underdiagnosed and undertreated. In 2009, the Norwegian Directorate of Health presented guidelines for prevention and treatment of malnutrition. The conclusion is that assessment of nutritional status is a necessary part of the consultation and treatment of geriatric patients, and that all geriatric inpatients should be screened for nutritional risk on admission and then weekly. In nursing homes, risk should be evaluated at admission and then every month, and for persons living at home, just “regularly”. New standards have improved the practice regarding malnutrition in the elderly, but there is still a long way to go until these are implemented in the daily routine in hospitals and nursing homes. Awareness of the problem is needed not only among geriatricians, but among all health professionals caring for elderly patients.