FEATURE NUTRITION
Offering frontline advice and identifying risk
© GettyImages / Olivier Le Moal
Sue Baic looks at the vital role that occupational therapists can have in supporting older patients in the community at risk of malnutrition during
COVID-19
Risk of malnutrition in older patients under our care has increased during the coronavirus pandemic . Here Sue Baic , registered dietitian and consultant to Wiltshire Farm Foods , explores how occupational therapists can play an important role as part of the multidisciplinary team in optimising outcomes through good nutrition in their patients , especially when direct access to dietitians is restricted .
Why has malnutrition risk increased and why does it matter ? The current coronavirus pandemic has created a perfect storm for increased risk of malnutrition in previously healthy people and in vulnerable groups , such as older adults in the community and those with chronic or long-term medical conditions .
30 OTnews February 2021