The latest we’ve spotted comes from Brighton, where Age UK Brighton and Hove and the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership have partnered to produce a handy booklet. ‘Eating well to stay healthy as you age’ aims to prevent and tackle malnutrition and is tailored to local older people and their carers.

The idea

The idea for the booklet began in 2016. Age UK Brighton and Hove was commissioned by the local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to carry out research on healthy eating and malnutrition with people aged 80 and over who may have been socially isolated and whose views were underrepresented.

One of the key recommendations from the research was to produce an information booklet to raise the level of knowledge amongst older people, and their carers and families, of the impact of malnutrition.

In addition, a recent Brighton and Hove Food Partnership report on healthy ageing and food found that locally there was a real lack of knowledge about the nutritional needs of older people, how this changes as you get older and where to go for advice and information.

What’s in the booklet?

The booklet aims to tackle some of these knowledge gaps. Simple to follow, it outlines what malnutrition is, how to spot the key signs in an older person or someone they care for, what to do if worried, and ideal food to eat, like full fat, to combat malnutrition.

It also lists the local bodies which can help with nutritional needs, including lunch clubs and community cafes. A new Casserole Club which has just launched in Brighton is featured as well. The Club matches volunteers who enjoy cooking with other locals who would benefit from a meal and friendly chat, and it’s really positive to see a service like this which can tackle malnutrition and loneliness taking root here.

It’s so great to see a booklet like this being produced and it’s equally great to see the local CCG funding the project. Launching the booklet at a local pub, Jane Lodge, a representative for the CCG, spoke and reiterated the Malnutrition Task Force’s view that the stereotypical view of a little old lady with rings falling off reinforces the dangerous idea it’s normal to be malnourished in later life.

Importance of working locally

Working at a local level can be a great way to tackle malnutrition – we can see that from some of the strong initiatives pioneered by our Malnutrition Prevention Programme.

We hope that Brighton will have every success with their booklet and look forward to seeing what other initiatives will follow.

To view the booklet, download it here. If you live in the city, you can collect it from The Food Partnership, based in the Brighthelm Centre in central Brighton.

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To read other Malnutrition Task Force blogs, click here. 

No-one likes being lonely and isolated. Yet for older men, this is an all too regular occurrence.

In 2014, an Independent Age report showed that over 1.2 million older men experience a moderate or high degree of social isolation.

It highlighted that men are more likely to be dependent on their partners than women, and that there are fewer opportunities for men to socialise together.  This can cause a range of problems.

It was these findings that inspired Age UK Richmond upon Thames set up a range of activities aimed at men, including ‘Man with a Pan’ cookery courses and clubs.

Men traditionally not the cooks

Cooking can be really fun and rewarding – throwing together all manner of different ingredients and seeing what tasty concoction you can come up with. But not everyone is a whizz in the kitchen.

Many older men would traditionally not have been the cook in their household and would have found themselves with the good fortune of having meals served to them for most of their adult life.  Finding themselves on their own, they may struggle. Social isolation can lead to poor nutritional intake or even malnutrition, which in turn can cause poor physical and mental health.

What is Man with a Pan?

Man with a Pan was originally set up as 6 week courses where men prepare, cook and eat together as a group under the direction of a tutor.  Nutrition has been absolutely key to the initiative, where they learn the importance of a good diet and our tutors also give advice about budgeting.  The recipes are for bigger portions so that there is enough to freeze for a later date.

In addition to this, we have been running twice-weekly Man with a Pan Clubs which have a similar format to the courses.  We also team up with St Mary’s University and they deliver some Man with a Pan courses and a monthly club for us, whereby participants receive a 40-minute interactive nutrition talk, covering topics including micro and macro nutrients, salt, food labels, and food hygiene amongst others.

“A great group of silly old fools!”

In the last year alone we’ve worked with around 300 men and we’ve made a huge difference to their lives.  One of our regular participants said, “It’s difficult to say which bit is the best part of the club. Mary (pictured above with participant Mark), who takes the club, is absolutely brilliant.  How she puts up with us is amazing.  We produce some very lovely food and the whole time is great fun.  I’m reluctant to recommend it to anyone else because I feel we are a great group of silly old fools!”

The social aspect of the courses is as important as the cooking.  We want men to form friendships and hopefully take part in some of our other men’s activities together, such as walking football or pub lunches.

We are grateful for the funding from charitable trusts, such as the City Bridge Trust and Hampton Fuel Allotment Charity, and we are also partly commissioned by the local authority.

For more information on Man with a Pan, contact Susan Hollins in Age UK Richmond upon Thames’s Community Services team on communityservices@ageukrichmond.org.uk.

Listen to ‘Man with a Pan’s’ recent media coverage:

BBC World Service interview with some of the course’s participants

United Christian Broadcasters interview on the course’s benefits  

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To read other Malnutrition Task Force blogs, click here. 

In late 2016, The Patients Association launched a report of findings to help with the identification and self-identification of adults who are malnourished or in need of nutritional advice. The work identified that there is scope for a Nutrition Checklist which can be used in many settings to help encourage conversations about weight and nutrition and lead people towards established tools and guidance.

There are 18 recommendations included in the report which are aimed at different audiences such as the general public, NHS Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups, NHS England, the Malnutrition Task Force, Care Quality Commission, NHS Improvement and the NICE implementation team.

The recommendations included ensuring that the Nutrition Checklist is widely promoted and adopted in different settings and in different formats across health and social care, including the voluntary sector, care providers and GP surgeries. The Nutrition Checklist could also be used as a tool to assist staff in identifying the type of nutritional support and advice which is needed for in-patients and on discharge from hospital, especially for patients at risk of malnutrition either by age or type of condition.

It was suggested that there should be more robust measures in place to ensure nutrition and hydration aspects are built into Care Quality Commission inspections in all care settings. The NICE implementation team could raise the profile of nutrition and provide a key point of contact in their portfolio within NHS England, and NHS Improvement could make use of the Nutrition Checklist to ensure nutritional needs are taken into account at hospital discharge and in community settings.

The Patients Association is now carrying out further work to test the Nutrition Checklist in a GP setting and a video is being developed for this to be shown in patient waiting areas. In partnership with Bournemouth University and Wessex Academic Health Science Network (WAHSN), the Checklist is also being piloted with a domiciliary care provider.

This next phase will help identify the wider potential for the Checklist and how it might improve practice. It will also identify other possible benefits such as the reduction in demand of hospital beds and GPs, and its use by practice based and community pharmacists and other professionals, unqualified staff and volunteers.

The project is currently funded by a non-restricted educational grant from Nutricia.

For further information, please email Heather Eardley, Head of Projects and Partnerships at the Patients Association, at heather@patients-association.com.

Click here to see the draft of the Nutrition Checklist.

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To read other Malnutrition Task Force blogs, click here. 

This week is Nutrition and Hydration Week, a brilliant campaign which raises awareness and celebrates food and drink as a way of maintaining health and wellbeing.

I’m certain that no-one doubts the importance of food. It gives us the nutrients we need for energy and to stay healthy; it helps us to stay sharp mentally; it can boost our wellbeing and generally keep us happy.

But let’s not just think in practical terms – the aroma of your favourite food as it drifts into the senses, and the sensations we feel as it hits our taste buds are some of the great pleasures in life. Most importantly, food is something we should continue to look forward to.

Food is so vital to every one of us and we should all strive to eat well and sufficiently throughout our lives.

However, that isn’t always the case.

Although many of us believe that malnutrition, or undernutrition, has been confined to the history books, the reality is different. In the UK, 1 in 10 older people – around 1 million altogether – are undernourished or at risk of undernourishment.

Getting thinner isn’t normal

Undernourishment often occurs because there is a perception that getting thinner is ‘normal’ in later life and that being overweight is more of a concern.

New research from the Malnutrition Task Force shows over a third of people (36%) in later life think it’s normal to lose weight as you get older, and over half thought being very overweight was a bigger issue for them.

However, these are myths. It is not natural to lose weight in later life and it’s certainly not healthy to be either overweight or underweight.

As well as making you feel unwell, being undernourished can slow down recovery from illness or surgery.

So keeping a stable weight is what we should all be striving for in later life.

What you can do

With many of us believing that it’s normal to get thinner in later life, it’s easy for weight to drop off without noticing.

However, there are many things we can do to stop this from happening. In the first instance, it’s important to be aware of the signs.

Looking at our clothes can give us an idea. Loose fitting clothes, jewellery slipping off and tightening belt buckles an extra notch can all be signs of not eating enough.

Health and wellbeing are also indicators. Changes in mood, catching more colds, finding it difficult to keep warm and becoming tired easily are other signs of weight loss.

If you are concerned about weight loss in yourself or someone you care for, visit a GP. They will be able to rule out any serious illnesses, and will be able to refer on to a dietitian if more specialist advice is needed.

Before heading to the GP, you may want to consider the handy Malnutrition Self Screening Tool. This online application can tell you your undernourishment risk, and whether you should follow this up with advice from a healthcare professional, simply from your height and weight.

The Malnutrition Task Force have also produce two guides, one aimed at those in later life and the other at carers, packed with tips and advice on how to keep to a healthy weight in later life. For instance, did you know that if you have a small appetite, eating small meals or snacks six times a day may be more manageable than three big meals?

Obesity not the only problem

We all know that obesity causes serious health problems, but this Nutrition and Hydration Week I am keen that we remember there are consequences if we don’t eat enough and lose weight.

Getting thinner is not a normal part of ageing and we must be aware of the signs and what action to take if weight starts to drop off.

By knowing these important nuggets of information, we can go far in improving our health in later life.

Read our full news story to mark the start of Nutrition and Hydration Week on weight loss not being a normal part of getting older. 

Visit Nutrition and Hydration Week’s website to discover more about the week.  

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To read other Malnutrition Task Force blogs, click here. 

Over 12 million (75%) say they have never worried about themselves or another older person unintentionally losing weight, despite it being an early warning sign of malnutrition or another serious condition.(i)

To mark the start of Nutrition and Hydration Week (13-17 March), the MTF is calling on older people to take unexplained weight-loss seriously as getting thinner is not a normal part of ageing.

Over half (54%) of older people questioned said they would be concerned about a friend or family member being very overweight.(i) Yet undernutrition is a major cause and consequence of poor health for older people. One in ten people over the age of 65 are estimated to be malnourished or at risk of malnutrition and the warning signs and symptoms are often missed.

Older people who are at most risk of becoming under nourished often feel lonely or have had a change in their circumstances such as bereavement which may have affected their appetite.

Compared to well-nourished individuals, people who are undernourished are twice as likely to visit their GP, have more hospital admissions and stay in hospital longer when they are admitted. Analysis has also found that treating someone who is malnourished is two to three times more expensive than for someone who is not malnourished.

Lesley Carter, Malnutrition Task Force Lead said:

 

“We wrongly assume that malnutrition and dehydration belong to the past – but the reality is that poor nutrition and hydration are often not recognised by older people, families or health care professionals. The risk of becoming undernourished increases significantly as people age and it is further complicated by the incorrect  assumption within society that losing weight is a normal part of the ageing process, when it fact should actually raise alarm bells.

 

“We all know that obesity causes serious health problems but there are also serious health consequences for older people who are at the other end of the scale and don’t eat enough.

 

“Many may ignore the warning signs, or simply not pay attention when they start to manifest. Rings may fall off, dentures could become loose, or clothes too baggy. Some people may start to find it hard to stand or carry objects, making preparing meals more difficult, or some may just show a general lack of appetite. Even the need to tighten your belt can be a clear indication that a person is not eating enough.”

If you think that you or someone you know may be under a healthy weight or malnourished, here are some things you could do:

• Look for signs of unintentional weight loss, this could be rings and watches being looser or falling off.
• Think about how to talk to them about it and considering using BAPEN’s easy to use self-screening tool at http://www.malnutritionselfscreening.org/
• If you are worried, talk to your GP or Practice Nurse, tell friends and family about your concerns and find about more about eating for health in old age here.

Other information

This story is coming out as part of Nutrition and Hydration Week which aims to raise awareness about the importance of food, hydration and nutrition in both healthcare settings and everyday life.

Media contacts

Media only: If you would like more information on this article, please contact Lauren Connors on 020 3033 1628 or email lauren.connors@ageuk.org.uk.

 Footnotes

(i) TNS polled 855 people aged 60 and over during 24 – 28 February 2017. The figures are based on the older population as a whole aged 60 and above.

Going into hospital can be a very worrying time. There’s no excuse in having that experience compounded by poor quality food or by having no control over what you can eat or drink.

With good nutrition and hydration being a vital component of the healing and recovery process for all patients, it’s essential we get hospital food and drink right.

Yet over the years, food and drink has been an issue that some hospitals have struggled with.

Many of us will have heard stories of our loved ones being served food that’s unappetising or unappealing.

So I’ve always been adamant that this is an area which needs to change.

Background

At the end of 2013, I took up a role as chair of the Department of Health’s Hospital Food Standards Panel.

Our report, published in 2014, made a handful of recommendations to improve food and drink in hospitals. We also selected highly relevant standards to make it easier for those involved to commission, provide and monitor food.

In 2016, the Panel reconvened to see what progress had been made, and we published our findings this January in Compliance with hospital food standards in the NHS.

Compliance with hospital food standards in the NHS

Looking at the report, it’s pleasing to see that in 2016, 84% of hospitals had a food and drink strategy in place, an improvement from 2015 when only 65% had a strategy.

Elsewhere, more hospitals are becoming compliant with recommended standards. 54% of hospitals are fully compliant with the 10 Characteristics of Good Nutritional Care, and 42% are working towards full compliancy. This is an increase from 2015 when only 40% of hospitals were fully compliant with these Characteristics.

Nutritional screening of patients on admission to hospital is also becoming more commonplace. Last year, 93% of hospitals said they had assessed the nutritional needs of at least 70% of patients, using MUST or equivalent nutritional screening tools.

Let’s not forget as well the publication of the NHS Commissioning Guidance on Nutrition and Hydration. This handy guide provides information for commissioners on commissioning and delivering nutrition and hydration services in local areas and provides examples of best practice that can be followed.

Of course, none of this would make any difference if patients themselves weren’t feeling the benefits. Since our initial report, patient surveys like the annual Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment have been amended to take into account hospital food. In the last year, food taste in 89.2% of hospitals was rated good or very good by patients, up from 83.9% in 2013.

Moving forward

We should be under no illusions that the work is over. Although the patient surveys show an improvement in food quality, there is still a small proportion of hospitals serving food rated as poor; clearly, this is totally unacceptable.

Whilst there has been progress across the sector, a small minority of hospitals still do not have a food and drink strategy and some are not working towards compliance with the recognised standards. Action will need to be taken to address this. After all, if the 2016 rate of progress in implementing strategies continued during 2017, by the end of the year all hospitals would have one in place.

During 2017, responsibilities for hospital food will be transferred to NHS Improvement, an organisation responsible for improving performance in the NHS. By holding providers to account and, where necessary, intervening, we hope that NHS Improvement will offer us new opportunities for national action.

So whilst there has been clear progress, we still have work to do.

Continued work on improving food and drink in hospital must be top priority. I very much look forward to seeing what we can achieve in 2017.

*All graphics taken from Department of Health’s  Compliance with hospital food standards infographic document 

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To read other Malnutrition Task Force blogs, click here. 

People who are vegetarian or vegan are found in at least one in every four British care homes.

As a result, it’s really important for care homes and caters to know their needs and how they should be cared for.

Dietary requirements

Knowing what vegetarians and vegans do and don’t eat is an essential starting point.

Most vegetarians do not eat meat or fish, but will eat eggs and dairy products.

Vegans choose not to eat or use any animal products at all. So they do not eat meat or fish, and also avoid all animal products such as honey, eggs and dairy.

This might sound a little restrictive but a wide range of meals can be made vegan or vegetarian, from hearty full-English style breakfasts, through to quiches, curries, pizzas, and cakes.

Reasons for making this choice

There are many reasons why someone could be vegetarian or vegan. It could be to do with animal welfare, the environment, or religious, spiritual and moral beliefs.

For instance, vegetarianism is particularly important in the Hindu, Buddhist, Rastafarian and Jain faiths, and a considerable number of Quakers are vegetarian too.

In addition, older adults’ uptake of meat-free meals is rising. They have cut back their meat consumption at a faster rate than the rest of the British population. This trend reflects practical concerns, such as perceived health benefits, and saving money.

Why should care caterers make the most of this?

Providing a few veggie options on the menu can be better for everyone and may save money in the process.

Firstly, vegetarian dishes should not be seen as ‘special’ food. Meat-eaters in care settings nearly always eat the two or more vegetable accompaniments on their plate and some days could prefer the option of a full vegetarian meal.

What’s more, because our ability to chew and digest certain foods can deteriorate with age, vegetarian and vegan foods can really come into their own, being easier to swallow and digest.

Don’t forget that vegetarian cooking can easily be cheaper. Indeed, soya mince and pulses tend to cost much less than even the cheapest cuts of meat.

So taking the time and care to provide a plant-based diet for vegetarians and vegans could prove to have wide appeal, with other residents benefiting too.

Vegetarian for Life

Vegetarian for Life is a charity dedicated to improve the quality of life of the UK’s older vegetarians and vegans. Offering a range of training and support, we have also produced a free catering guide and a Code of Good Practice to help your catering efforts.

Please contact us for further details or any queries. Happy cooking!

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To read other Malnutrition Task Force blogs, click here. 

Going into hospital can be very worrying.

You may be in pain and nervous about what’s going to happen next, feel disorientated by being in a busy environment, or find it distressing being away from loved ones.

All this can be compounded by having no control over food, or by being served food that’s unappetising and unappealing.

However, getting hospital food and drink right is critical. After all, good nutrition and hydration are a vital part of the healing and recovery process for all patients.

We mustn’t forget as well that 1 in 3 older people are already at risk of malnutrition and dehydration on admission to hospital, showing there should be no excuse in letting standards slip.

Hospital Food Standards Panel

December 2013 saw the coming together of the Hospital Food Standards Panel. Our aim was to provide clear direction on the common, non-negotiable standards that should underpin the expert guidance, and give them teeth.

We went through existing standards and gathered a small number of highly relevant ones to make it easier for those involved to commission, provide and monitor food.

Unlike past initiatives, we also wanted to look at food and drink as a totality, so our work took into account everything from sustainable procurement to high quality catering and patient care.

Lastly, we wanted to showcase good practice and provide detailed information on how to make the changes.

We’re making progress

It’s been just over two years since we announced these standards and I’m delighted to say progress is being made.

Shortly after the Panel’s Report came out, our standards were included within the NHS Standard Contract. This is a significant, legally binding lever which ensures that commissioners and hospitals can be clear during their discussions on the requirements of hospital food standards.

Yet it’s important not just to look at the legal details, but also to look at the fantastic initiatives that have emerged on the back of the Report which are making a real difference in hospitals.

For instance, we know that MUST (the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool), a quick five-step tool to identify adults who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition, is now being widely used in a number of hospitals.

Elsewhere, with people with dementia often suffering visual problems, the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has developed specially adapted coloured utensils to allow patients to see more clearly the food that they are eating.

For those with swallowing difficulties, I’m pleased to say many hospitals now provide crustless sandwiches as well as texture modified and soft food.

We are also aware that an increasing number of hospitals are ensuring the availability of high calorie finger foods and cakes in the afternoon for those who need small meals and snacks.

Lastly, we know of hospitals using Specially-trained Enhanced Mealtime Support Volunteers. This is a brilliant idea which allows volunteers to sit and support patients at mealtimes, whilst releasing trained staff to help those who need more intense care.

But we can’t be complacent

There’s no doubt that this marvellous work fills me with positivity.

But we must remember our job is far from complete.

A recent National Inpatient Diabetes Audit reported that over a third of inpatients with diabetes said hospitals didn’t always provide the right choice of food for them to manage their diabetes – a basic but critical health need.

This is worrying and underlines how big the challenge is for every hospital in ensuring all patients receive the level of help with eating and drinking they require, when they require it.

The Panel are not resting on their laurels either. I am happy to announce we too have recently reconvened to review our standards to see what progress has been made in the last two years.

After all, turning this situation around must be a top priority and no-one can afford complacency.

Panel recommendations so timely

Back in 2013, we had no national mandatory standards for hospital food in England, no national guidance for commissioners and no implementation programme.

So I’m pleased to see how far we’ve come.

With food and drink so important to recovery, and a large number of older people at risk of malnutrition on admission to hospital, we should all be passionate about improving food standards in hospitals.

It’s true we still have further to go, but this has only reaffirmed for me that our Panel’s standards are more timely than ever in supporting hospitals to look after patients.

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To read other Malnutrition Task Force blogs, click here. 

Malnutrition is a big problem for those with COPD, with around 21% of people in the UK with COPD at risk of the condition.

Malnutrition in those with COPD may develop gradually over several years or more suddenly after an exacerbation or flare up.

It can be caused by a number of reasons. With breathing problems common in COPD patients, many of those with the condition may find themselves out of breath during a meal and so unable to complete it. Fatigue from COPD can make people feel like they don’t have an appetite, and so lead to food intake that isn’t sufficient.

The consequence of COPD-induced malnutrition can be very serious for patients and includes increased mortality, longer hospitals stays, reduced muscle strength and reduced respiratory function.

It can also put pressure on the system, driving up the amount of money spent on health services.

New guide: Managing Malnutrition in COPD

With this in mind, a new guide has been launched to assist healthcare professionals in identifying and managing people with COPD who are at risk of disease-related malnutrition.

The landmark guide, “Managing Malnutrition in COPD,” has been developed by a panel of professionals who all have a great interest and expertise in malnutrition and COPD. It is based on clinical experience and evidence as well as accepted best practice, and it has been endorsed by a number of key professional and patient organisations.

The guide starts with an overview of malnutrition and COPD, highlighting its causes, clinical consequences and cost implications. It then turns to look at how to identify the malnutrition risk in patients with COPD, and how to manage their nutrition according to the risk category they have been placed in.

For instance, if they are in the low risk category, there may be nothing to do beyond rescreening them again in a year’s time. But patients of medium risk may be given dietary advice, like encouraging them to eat small frequent meals and snacks high in energy and protein.

The guide also provides a pathway for using oral nutritional supplements (ONS), something which can be very important for those at high risk of COPD-caused malnutrition. It concludes with dietary advice on how to optimise nutritional intake.

Complementary guides for patients

To complement this guide, three leaflets aimed at patients have also been produced. These leaflets are colour-coded according to risk category, and include ‘Eating Well for Your Lungs,’ a green leaflet for those at low risk of malnutrition; ‘Improving Your Nutrition in COPD,’ a yellow leaflet for patients at medium risk of malnutrition; and ‘Nutrition Support in COPD,’ a red leaflet for those at high risk of malnutrition.

These leaflets for patients contain dietary advice, advice on eating and physical activity, and tips on coping with the common symptoms of COPD including dry mouth and shortness of breath.

Downloads

With 630,000 people at risk of malnutrition brought on by COPD, it couldn’t be timelier to take action and deal with this condition.

Visit www.malnutritionpathway.co.uk/copd to download for free ‘Managing Malnutrition in COPD’ as well as the three complementary patient leaflets.

Update 20/03/2017: This HSJ article on how losing weight isn’t a normal part of COPD and the importance of nutrition pathways in tackling this assumption may be of interest   

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To read other Malnutrition Task Force blogs, click here. 

William Shakespeare observed in ‘The Seven Ages of Man’ that we spend our later years “sans taste” (or ‘without taste’).

Today this medical condition is well recognised and we know that the decline in our ability to taste food can have a number of health consequences, such as becoming undernourished.

Why does this happen?

Our ability to eat and enjoy food and drink is inextricably linked to its taste. If food appears to be tasteless and flavorless, we won’t want to eat it and, over time, there will be a natural reduction in our appetite.

Our taste buds are made up of complex epithelial structures which, when stimulated, transmit taste sensations to our brain. But for this to happen, first the chemical substances in the food must be dissolved in our saliva, so that they can enter the taste pore and stimulate the nerve endings in our tongue.

Up to our middle years our taste buds are renewed every 10 days or so. However after middle-age renewal rates slow down dramatically – so this means there is a rapid decline in the number of taste buds we have and their efficiency.

What’s more, as we age our saliva production reduces. When we combine both lower saliva levels (needed to dissolve the food and drink) and fewer taste buds, we can see why ‘sans taste’ can become a reality for so many in later life.

What can be done to reverse this process?

Don’t think that fading taste is a given – there are steps that can be taken to tackle this.

Firstly, it’s important to recognise that smoking, post menopause (because of a fall in estrogen, which is essential to taste bud renewal), antidepressants, mouthwashes (containing chlorohexdine) and radiotherapy/chemotherapy will further exacerbate the decline in our taste perception.

 That said, here is a simple routine to boost taste perception:

• Drink plenty of water
• Try and avoid using mouthwashes which contain chlorohexdine
• Chew your food more - Chewing increases salivation, which in turn will increase the amount of chemicals released from the food, so taste sensation will improve. So very simply – chew more!
• Swish your drink (and wine) more – Leaving your soft drink or wine in your mouth slightly longer, before swallowing, will enable the chemicals greater time to stimulate the receptors in your tongue.
• (If applicable) Give up smoking
• Cleanse your palate – unclog your taste buds and give them a fighting chance – Using a tongue scraper to remove the residual food and bacterial debris still trapped on your tongue and clogging your taste buds will improve your taste perception.

Taken together, these are simple and doable steps that will help you roll back taste decline and prove Shakespeare wrong.

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To read more Malnutrition Task Force blogs, covering how undernutrition can be avoided and other topics, click here.