Routine clinical care

Repeat screening: 

• Hospital – weekly
• Care Homes – monthly
• Community – annually

for special groups e.g. those >75 yrs

Observe

• Document dietary intake for 3 days
• If adequate – little concern and repeat screening
  – Hospital – weekly
  – Care Home – at least monthly
  – Community – at least every 2-3 months
• If inadequate – clinical concern
• follow local policy, set goals, improve, and increase overall nutritional intake, monitor and review care plan regularly

Treat*

• Refer to dietitian, Nutritional Support Team or implement local policy
• Set goals, improve and increase overall nutritional intake
• Monitor and review care plan

• Hospital – weekly
• Care Home – monthly
• Community – monthly

* Unless detrimental or no benefit is expected from nutritional support e.g.imminent death.

An evidence-based therapeutic algorithm for management of malnutrition can be found "here.”

All risk categories:

• Treat underlying condition and provide help and advice on food choices, eating and drinking when necessary.
• Record malnutrition risk category.
• Record need for special diets and follow local policy.

Obesity:

Record presence of obesity. For those with underlying conditions, these are generally controlled before the treatment of obesity.