Nutritional product use and practice in nursing and residential homes.

Abstract

To review the use of nutritional products in nursing and residential homes in the Northern Health and Social Services Board (NHSSB) area of Northern Ireland. Two questionnaires on nutritional product use were sent to all (a total of 131) nursing and residential homes in the NHSSB area. A total of 122 nursing and residential homes completed and returned the questionnaires, giving a response rate of 93 per cent. Of these, 81 homes were administering nutritional products to some patients and residents. There were 3,208 residents in the homes that responded. Of these, 1,800 were residing in nursing homes and 1,390 in residential homes. Of the total of 3,190 people, 218 patients and 81 residents (299 in total) were receiving nutritional products. The findings suggest that oral supplements are the most commonly used means of nutritional support. There was a wide degree of variability between homes with regard to monitoring the use of nutritional products. In 39 per cent of cases (n = 118), the nutritional products was introduced into a person's diet because of frailty. Frailty was also mentioned in a further 15 per cent of cases (n = 45) as part of the reason for giving a nutritional product. The authors' findings suggest that guidelines should be developed to promote standardisation across nursing and residential care settings, where appropriate.