Food@Manchester

MICRA - Ageing, health and nutrition seminar

On the 12th February 2014 MICRA (Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing) hosted the health community for discussions on reducing the risks and consequences of malnutrition in the older patient cohort.

Over 1 million older people malnourished in the UK

Research shows that over 1 million people over the age of 65 in the UK are malnourished with the cost of malnutrition in the UK predicted to top £15 billion this year. Dr Mike Stroud co-chair of the Government’s Malnutrition Task Force highlighted the facts from the work undertaken by the task force and the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN) at MICRA’s Ageing, Health and Nutrition seminar on 12 February. According to Dr Stroud, most people don't understand the importance of nutrition in older people, with evidence showing that food is one of the most effective treatments hospitals can offer to ill older people. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) cost saving guidance place malnutrition as the third potential biggest cost saving to the NHS, said Dr Stroud.

John McLaughlin, Professor of Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the University of Manchester, also presented, stressing the lack of information on the ageing gut and the nutritional needs of older people. He identified the need for research to discover how the function of the gut changes with age including signals between the gut and the brain.

Kirstine Farrer, Consultant Dietician at Salford Royal Hospital, spoke on innovative nutrition service delivery and her upcoming involvement in a national pilot for malnutrition pathway under the auspices of Age UK following Department of Health funding.

The three presentations from the seminar are available on the MICRA website.