OVERVIEW
Good nutrition and hydration are among the most basic, and most important, things we can do to keep people well. Eating and drinking well helps people stay healthy, recover from illness and injury, fight off infection, heal wounds, maintain their strength and mobility, think clearly and feel good in themselves. For the people supported in care settings — who are often older, frail, living with long-term conditions, recovering from illness, or dependent on others for help — getting enough of the right food and fluid is not a small matter of comfort. It is central to their health, their dignity and their quality of life, and it is a core part of the care you provide every day.
The course covers the link between nutrition, hydration and wellbeing, CQC Regulation 14, the balanced diet and the Eatwell Guide, the importance of fluids, causes and signs of malnutrition and dehydration, the MUST screening tool, monitoring food and fluid intake, swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) and modified textures (the IDDSI framework), fortified foods and higher-energy diets, the mealtime experience, and how to support dignity, choice and independence at mealtimes.
