| MP Backs Care Home Report |
| Monday, 14 April 2008 | |
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Southport's MP John Pugh has backed the findings of a recent report into nutritional standards in local care homes - and is now urging people to take such standards into account when choosing residential care for elderly relatives.
Research has shown that malnutrition can have especially serious health consequences amongst the elderly, and can be brought on in a number of ways; failure to eat is a key problem, and this can be a result of unappetising, poorly presented food, physical difficulties, or even depression. The report found that the availability, quality, and style of presentation of food, along with the ability of staff to assist residents at mealtimes, are crucial in ensuring residents receive a wholesome, appealing and nutritious diet - a crucial factor in their long-term health. The majority of homes surveyed were found to be performing well in this regard, and Dr Pugh hailed the dedication of the staff involved - whilst sounding a note of caution for those actively looking for residential care: "This report is vindication of the expertise and hard work of the carers and chefs working in our care homes" said the MP this morning. "Though it's a concern that national minimum standards for nutrition in care homes are not enforcable by law. "These standards are published by the Department of Health to provide a guideline for the basic nutritional needs of elderly residents, so it's highly worrying that care homes falling below such standards could be operating freely. I plan on raising this issue in Parliament, and it is an issue that people should be aware of. "There is a tendency to dismiss the quality of food provided in care homes - the cliche of "well you don't expect it to be good do you?" This disregards the serious implications that poor food can have on residents health however, and I would advise people to make it a key factor when they are trying to decide where to care for their elderly relatives. "This report shows that on the whole nutritional standards are good - which to me says that people should not have to put up with standards falling below that grade. What at first may seem quite trivial can have serious long-term implications for people's health. "Poor food in care homes should now be a thing of the past. People should not, and do not have to tolerate those homes which fall below the grade. It's important that people realise how high their expectations can now be raised." |