The relationship between malnutrition risk and clinical outcomes in a cohort of frail older hospital patients.

Background & Aims: Malnutrition has an adverse effect on clinical outcomes and frail older people may be at greater risk of malnutrition. The purpose and aims of this study was to investigate the relationship between markers of malnutrition risk and clinical outcomes in a cohort of frail older hospital patients.

Methods: 78 frail older hospital patients had the following measurements recorded; length of stay (LOS), time to medical fitness for discharge (TMFFD), body mass index (BMI), malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST) and mini-nutritional assessment short-form (MNA-SF) scores, blood urea, C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, CRP-albumin ratio; and bioelectrical impedance assessment (BIA) measurements (n = 66).

Comprehensive geriatric assessment of a patient with complex needs.

This is the third in a short series that presents case study examples of the application of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in different clinical settings. CGA is a holistic assessment model, which is designed to determine a frail older person's medical and mental health status, as well as functional, social and environmental issues. When undertaken by nurses, it can enable individualised care planning.

A comparison of the malnutrition screening tools, MUST, MNA and bioelectrical impedance assessment in frail older hospital patients.

Background & Aims: This cohort study aimed to investigate and compare the ability to predict malnutrition in a group of frail older hospital patients in the United Kingdom using the nutritional risk screening tools, MUST (malnutrition universal screening tool), MNA-SF(®) (mini nutritional assessment-short form) and bioelectrical impedance assessment (BIA) of body composition.

Methods: MUST and MNA-SF was performed on 78 patients (49 males and 29 females, age: 82 y ± 7.9, body mass index (BMI): 25.

A critical literature review exploring the challenges of delivering effective palliative care to older people with dementia.

Aim: This paper considers the challenges of delivering effective palliative care to older people with dementia and the possible strategies to overcome barriers to end-of-life care in these patients.

Background: In UK alone, approximately 100,000 people with dementia die each year and as the number of older people increases, dementia is set to become even more prevalent. Dementia is a progressive terminal illness for which there is currently no cure.