On the alert.(Brief Article)

Initiative will help fight malnutrition in nursing homes

FRONTLINE CAREGIVERS AND OTHERS ARE now equipped with a new set of tools to combat malnutrition in elders. A coalition of health care and government groups developed the tools, called Nutrition Care Alerts, to help volunteers, nursing assistants, family members, medical directors, nurses, and other health professionals identify and correct common nutritional concerns. The alerts were unveiled in September.

According to Ann Gallagher, RD, president of the American Dietetic Association, the most prevalent nutritional problems among older Americans are dehydration, unintentional weight loss, pressure …