In the UK, the NHS (Northumberland) has been researching how to achieve better outcomes following hip fracture (the so-called HIP QIP NHS Northumberland project).
They have recently shown something we dietitians have been saying for a long time - that providing better nutrition supports repair and recovery following accident or illness, especially in older people. In fact, they have showed that providing just one extra meal, and having someone sit with a patient to make sure meals are eaten, can halve the rate of death following a hip fracture!
This is an excellent finding. I would go further of course and assert that age-appropriate nutrition advice for seniors helps prevent the falls which cause fractures in the first place, as well as reducing the chance of illness and infection generally.
here is a news report on the study findings.
August 24, 2022
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