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 more than 50% of patients admitted to the hospital are malnourished.
Malnutrition is an issue that effects people around the world. To address the issue in America, 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 can worsen.
- 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 44 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 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?
If left untreated, malnutrition can have critical consequences in someone’s life. However, there are ways to help prevent malnutrition, the first step is recognizing the condition. Helping an individual get screened for nutritional status is another important step.
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 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, a reanalysis of a Mom’s Meals® pilot program with Inland Empire Health Plan showed home-delivered, medically tailored meals for patients with heart disease had a lasting impact with a:
- 42% reduction in hospitalizations
- 39% reduction in length of stay
- 21% reduction in total cost of care
Members also self-reported:
- Improved access to healthy foods and lower salt consumption
- Reduced HF symptoms such as shortness of breath and swelling
Mom's Meals can help
With 60+ delicious meal options and nine condition-specific menus, we make eating better convenient. Individuals choose every meal, every delivery and meals are delivered direct to homes — no matter how remote. They can enjoy meals designed by registered dietitians and crafted by professional chefs in USDA- and FDA- inspected facilities, providing the highest level of compliance with federal regulations governing food production.
Find out more about Mom’s Meals and our expertise to build an effective and cost-efficient nutrition strategy to address health inequality and improve outcomes.
