Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9600
ISSN: 2155-9600
Alison Burton Shepherd
De Montfort University, UK
Keynote: J Nutr Food Sci
Undernutrition is common among older people generally and arguably malnutrition is considered to be a larger public health problem than that of obesity. At any point in time it estimated more than 3 million individuals in United Kingdom are at risk of developing malnutrition with approximately 93% of those living in their own homes. Latest data from the USA (Gerontological Society of America 2015) also asserts that one third to half of all US adults in the community setting aged 65 years and over are malnourished or are at risk of malnutrition upon admission to hospital. Malnutrition is associated with both increased morbidity and mortality. Therefore it is prudent to suggest that prevention is better than cure. This presentation will begin by examining some of the causes of malnutrition in the elderly. The remainder of the session provides an in depth focused discussion on the role of healthcare clinicians in its assessment and prevention and recommends ways in which clinical practice may be improved.
Alison Burton Shepherd is a Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing at De Montfort University, UK. In 2010, she became a Queens Nurse, which is an Award given for excellence in Nursing Care within the community setting. She works as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and she is an Independent Nurse Prescriber. She is also an Inspector for the Care Quality Commission.