NACC National Training & Development Forum 2011

The message to the industry was: "There is no place for malnutrition amongst older people in modern society. It is imperative that its existence is recognised and that the issue is tackled as a matter of urgency." Delegates at the annual gathering pledged their support behind NACC's ongoing No One Should Go Hungry campaign to raise awareness of malnutrition in the care sector. Figures from the 'Personalisation, Nutrition and the Role of Community Meals' report found that one in ten older people in the UK are at risk from malnutrition. The campaign champions a single up-to-date Nutrition Standard that gives guidance to those providing community meals services to ensure the elderly have consistent access to food with the correct nutrition content. The NACC is petitioning the Government to support the standard in order to help lower the risk of malnutrition for older people – a commitment that needs to be made as a matter of urgency to prevent the issue being compounded by factors such as budget cuts and the ever-growing older population. In addition to highlighting the crucial No One Should Go Hungry campaign, the two-day forum also educated delegates, facilitating valuable networking, approving a new NACC publication, appointing a new NACC Chair, and recognising and celebrating the sector's unsung heroes.