Nutrition
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When somebody comes to live at Halwill Manor a great deal of assessment and research is completed before and during the admission process.
One of these assessments is the Nutritional Assessment.
Our nutritional assessment incorporates an assessment tool called the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, or the MUST tool.
This tool identifies if a person is at risk of malnutrition, OR if their calorific intake needs to be reduced.
This is a fundamental assessment and is the starting point from which the nutritional assessment can continue.
The next step is to ensure that any risk factors are clearly identified; for example, allergies, food intolerances, and diabetes.
The next step is to ensure that people receive a nutritionally balanced diet.
The menu at Halwill Manor is regularly reviewed to ensure that people receive this.
following on from this, in order to ensure that people’s dietary requirements are personalised, an assessment is carried out to establish the likes, dislikes, and preferences of each person.
All of this data is then pulled together to complete an individual nutrition profile for each person.
“Lunchtime was very sociable; care workers were very attentive to people’s needs.
People were offered wine and refreshments of their choosing.
It was evident that people were enjoying their food.” (2017 CQC Report)
Taking things further
The food that we put into our bodies has a profound effect on not just our physical well-being but also our mental well-being.
In line with Halwill Manor’s policy on research-driven care, the food that we provide people with not only fulfils people’s nutritional requirements in terms of staying healthy but also goes one step further.
By incorporating current research in the field of nutrition and brain functioning. It may be possible to improve people’s diet to the extent that cognitive decline can be reduced.
There has been a vast amount of studies that identify particular vitamins and ingredients that can help slow down the decline of cognitive function.
Findings from these nutritional studies are frequently discussed within nutritional meetings at Halwill Manor, and where possible these findings are incorporated into the menus.
Below are some examples of vitamins, minerals, and ingredients that have been shown to improve cognitive functioning, and inhibit the deterioration of brain cells.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin mostly known for its role in helping the blood to clot, however, there is also some evidence that vitamin K can help prevent Alzheimer’s.
One of the major functions of vitamin K is to regulate calcium in the bones and in the brain.
In a study from the University of North Carolina scientists suggested that those with low levels of vitamin K have dysregulated calcium in their brains, which causes some of the damage done to the brain in Alzheimer’s Patients.
B - Vitamins
When folate or vitamin B12 is deficient, homocysteine levels rise which predisposes to cardiovascular disease. There is also consistent evidence that high levels of homocysteine are associated with cognitive decline.
Antioxidants
Neural inflammation and oxidative damage are thought to be key mechanisms in the development of dementia. Oxidative stress directly damages cell components, resulting in damage to synapse and nerve cell death. Antioxidants are thought to act against neurodegeneration by limiting the production of toxic substances and reducing damage by free radicals.
Flavonoids
Two types of flavonoids called “luteolin” and “diosmin” have been shown to reduce levels of beta-amyloid (a hallmark symptom of Alzheimer’s disease)