PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
NUTRITION IN CARE HOMES (13 February 2006)

That this House is alarmed that over 60,000 older people in care homes may be malnourished; is concerned that, according to the British Association of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN), the cost to the taxpayer of malnutrition in long-term care is an estimated £2.6 billion a year; believes that all residents should be screened for malnutrition on admission and proper training should be made available to staff to deal with the special dietary requirements of many older people in care; notes the good work being done by many organisations, including the Food Standards Agency to develop nutrient-based standards for public institutions, the Caroline Walker Trust on developing guidance and meal plans for residents in care homes and by BAPEN and the National Association for Care Catering on developing screening tools for use in care homes; and calls on the Department of Health to ensure all of this work is considered in its review of the National Minimum Standards for Care Homes for Older People this year to establish clear nutritional standards.

Sponsored by:
Paul Burstow (Liberal Democrat)