Malnutrition Risk in Care Homes: Spotting It Early

Malnutrition is staggeringly common in care homes and easy to miss. A resident can look fine while quietly losing weight and muscle. The kitchen is often the first to spot it.

Why it matters in a care home kitchen

• Older adults need fewer calories but the same or more protein
• Illness, dementia and depression all suppress appetite
• Dysphagia and poor-fitting dentures cut what they’ll eat
• The MUST tool screens for malnutrition risk on admission and regularly after
• Weight loss of 5–10% in 3–6 months is a red flag

What actually works

Know your low consumers

Flag residents who leave food. A care plan starts in the kitchen, not just the nursing office.

Fortify early

Before weight drops, add calories to what they already eat (see our fortification guide).

Small and often

A big plate intimidates. Three small meals plus snacks beats one struggle at dinner.

The bottom line

Catch it at the plate. The kitchen’s daily record of who ate what is the early-warning system the care plan relies on.

For the full picture across menu planning, hydration and nutrition standards, see our Meal & Nutrition in Care Homes guide.