Oral nutritional supplements in care homes

Abstract

The aim of this project was to test the concept of dietetic-led ordering of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) for residents in care homes in Northern Ireland without the need for generation of a GP prescription. A new model of dietetic-led ordering was developed involving extensive stakeholder engagement. Data was audited for a 1-week period at the start (April 2021) and end (June 2021) of the pilot. The new model described in this project demonstrated dietitian-recommended, formulary compliant practice with a range of benefits to residents, clinicians and care workers, delivering the right product at the right time to the resident, resulting in cost savings, improved supply mechanisms for care homes, and reduced requirement for GP input. The project demonstrated benefits for care home residents, clinicians and the Health and Social Care system. The results improve understanding of ways to improve the adoption and implementation of evidence-based nutritional support interventions into routine practice.