Torbay’s Public Health Team is supporting Nutrition and Hydration Week 2015 (16 to 22 March).

The week aims to raise awareness and improve understanding of the importance of good nutrition and hydration. It is estimated that around one million older people in the UK, or around one in ten living in the community, are at risk of malnutrition.

There is evidence that poor nutrition and hydration care can seriously affect a person’s health and wellbeing, reduce their ability to recover and increase mortality.

The mission of Nutrition and Hydration Week is to create a global movement that will reinforce and focus, energy, activity and engagement on nutrition and hydration as an important part of quality care, experience and safety improvement in health and social care settings.

Nutrition & Hydration Week 2015 aims to widely promote the following:

• The 10 Key Characteristics for Good Nutritional Care
• Protected mealtimes
• Nutrition Advocates for each health or social care setting
• The minimum standards for good nutrition in all settings
• Sharing good nutrition and hydration practices
• Continued education for professionals on good nutrition and hydration

To download guides and further information on the above, please see: http://nutritionandhydrationweek.co.uk/

To make your pledge of support for Nutrition and Hydration Week please see: http://fs2.formsite.com/patientsafetyfirst/form175/index.html?1384427480785

Nutrition and Hydration Week is a collaboration between:

• Hospital Caterers Association
• National Association of Care Catering
• Patient Safety Domain NHS England