From September 16-20, Midland Health will participate in Malnutrition Awareness Week™, an international effort to increase the awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of malnutrition in patients.
Malnutrition Awareness Week is an annual, multi-organizational campaign created by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) to emphasize nutrition as a patient right and its vital role in health and recovery.
Midland Health will create awareness throughout the week to highlight the significance of nutrition in medical treatment and educate community members on the importance of discussing their nutritional status with healthcare professionals.
Malnutrition, when unrecognized and untreated, results in longer hospital stays for patients, twice the need for rehab or long-term care, and a 2.3 times higher rate of hospital deaths. In addition to its human toll, malnutrition raises hospital costs by 73% and can cost an additional $10,000 in hospital readmission stays.
While older adults are particularly susceptible to malnutrition, others at risk include people with infections; those with long-term health conditions including kidney disease, diabetes, and lung disease; and people with cancer, dementia, and other chronic conditions.
It is important to know the signs and symptoms of malnutrition. If you or your loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms—unplanned weight loss, loss of appetite, inability to eat or only able to eat small amounts, feeling weak or tired, swelling or fluid accumulation—talk to your healthcare provider.
“Our staff will also be taking part in the week-long educational programs offered by ASPEN to increase their understanding of how to recognize and treat malnutrition,” said Kaitlyn Greb, Director of Food and Nutrition Services.
For more resources on nutrition visit www.nutritioncare.org/KnowTheSigns.