Nutrition
Chronic illness, serious injury or joint replacement – patients are admitted to the hospital for many reasons. However, many patients also arrive with malnutrition. It’s estimated that up to 50% of patients admitted to the hospital are malnourished.
To address the issue in the U.S., the Malnutrition Quality Improvement Initiative (MQii) was established. The MQii works with health care organizations to help them achieve a better quality of care when identifying malnutrition. Their focus is on improving the quality of care for older adults who are malnourished or are at risk for malnutrition.
Along with health care organizations, patients and family members also have a role to play in understanding what malnutrition is and how it can be managed.
Malnutrition: 5 key questions
1. What is malnutrition?
Malnutrition is a condition that develops when the body is not receiving enough vitamins, minerals and other nutrients needed to maintain healthy tissues and organ function. Malnutrition occurs in people who are either undernourished or overnourished.
Undernutrition occurs when not enough essential nutrients are consumed or when they are excreted more rapidly than they can be replaced. Overnutrition occurs in people who eat too much, eat the wrong things, don’t exercise enough or take too many vitamins or other dietary replacements.
2. How do people become malnourished?
Malnutrition can be caused by several factors:
- Illness — Serious illness and chronic disease can reduce a person’s appetite and their ability to absorb the nutrients needed to remain healthy. The result is malnourishment, which can further complicate other medical conditions.
- Inability to eat — If someone has poor dental health, limited ability to handle tableware or difficulty chewing and swallowing, they are likely to become malnourished due to their inability eat to receive the nutrients needed.
- Food insecurity — When people don’t have consistent access to sufficient food — and a sufficient variety of foods — to support a healthy, active life they are considered food insecure. Poverty, unemployment and even transportation issues can lead to food insecurity.
- Poor dietary choices — People who have enough to eat but make consistently poor dietary choices can also be malnourished because they don’t take in the healthy nutrients their bodies need. Poor dietary choices can also impact people with chronic conditions. When people don’t eat the right foods for their condition, their disease and symptoms can worsen and put them at risk for complications.
- Reduced social contact — Older adults who typically eat alone may lose interest in cooking and eating due to feeling lonely and not enjoying mealtime anymore.
3. Is malnutrition really a problem in America?
Yes. Many people are surprised to learn that malnutrition is still an issue in the United States. According to Feeding America, 100% of U.S. counties have food insecurity, and 47 million people in the U.S are food insecure.
4. How does malnutrition impact older Americans?
Malnutrition is a particular concern for older Americans. Around a quarter of older adults (65 years and older) are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.
Malnutrition can cause various health problems in older adults. Some effects include:
- An increased risk of death
- An increased risk of hospitalization
- Weakened immune system
Malnutrition in older adults also poses a significant burden to patients who are hospitalized. Those who are malnourished are 56% more likely of readmission within 30-days, have a 34% higher cost for their hospital visit and a 70% increase in the length of their hospital stay.
5. How can I recognize malnutrition in patients, members, or family members?
Malnutrition can have serious consequences if left untreated, but it’s often preventable. The first step is recognizing the signs, followed by getting screened to assess nutritional status and receive guidance on proper care.
If the individual is malnourished or at risk, getting help to improve the person’s nutrition is critical, especially if the person has a medical condition that could lead to hospitalization. The more well-nourished a patient is while being admitted, the less likely they’ll be readmitted.
The MQii has published a guide to help professionals and family members recognize the possible symptoms of malnutrition. Some signs to look for include:
- Weight loss
- Low energy levels
- Fatigue
- Lack of appetite
- Lack of concentration
- Hollow cheeks and sunken eyes
Determining the patient’s nutrition options is the next step. Start by learning what type of nutritional support they have through their health insurance provider. This can include education, nutrition counseling or even home-delivered meals after a hospital stay.
Medically tailored meals
Home-delivered medically tailored meals are a proven way to help malnourished individuals improve their nutrition and reduce food insecurity. When medically and nutritionally balanced meals are delivered, it helps ensure an individual is receiving the nutrients needed to help maintain a healthy diet.
Getting the right nutrition helps improve and prevent chronic conditions, reduces hospital admissions and readmission rates and speeds recovery after illness. For example, in June 2021, 93 dually eligible members from a Medicaid Plan in California with congestive heart failure, with a minimum of four emergency department visits in the last 12 months and a high-risk profile, took part in a six-month pilot program of receiving Mom's Meals® lower-sodium medically tailored meals. Participants also received other supports, including calls with registered dietitians, community health workers, and nurse case managers, as well as produce and pantry boxes to help them transition to healthy lifestyle habits.
Results from the pilot program included:
- 42% reduction in inpatient acute admissions
- 39% reduction in inpatient length of stay
- 39% reduction in unavoidable hospitalization
- 40% reduction in emergency department conversions to inpatient
Mom's Meals food as medicine solutions can help
Mom’s Meals provides the most comprehensive food as medicine solutions nationwide. Our nutrition solutions are designed for all ages to bring comfort and inspire confidence in people seeking to live healthier, manage chronic health conditions, recover from illness and continue to live independently. Our integrated solutions include medically tailored meals, produce and pantry boxes, oral nutrition supplements and shelf-stable, kosher, and halal meals, backed by nutrition counseling and education.
We offer meal options for most common nutrition-sensitive chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, heart and renal diseases, and pureed meals and liquid oral nutritional supplements for those with difficulty chewing or swallowing. Each meal is made with high-quality ingredients and designed by registered dietitians and crafted by professional chefs in USDA- and FDA- inspected facilities. Our meals are free from added MSG, partially hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, added trans fats, artificial sweeteners such as sucralose and preservatives banned in the EU.
Discover how Mom’s Meals can help create an effective, cost-efficient nutrition strategy that helps prevent malnutrition, improves health outcomes and reduces health care costs.
