Elderly patients starving in Qld hospital beds
As many as four in every 10 elderly patients in Queensland hospitals could be slowly starving in their beds, Qld health officials have reported.
Health staff are failing to notice the signs of malnutrition and are too busy to check whether patients are eating properly. Malnutrition can delay recovery times and in severe cases quicken a patient’s death.
Merrilyn Banks, director of nutrition at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, said: “We think malnutrition only happens in third world countries, but it is a problem in aged care and hospitals here. We have found that 30% to 40% of elderly patients are affected.
“There’s generally not enough awareness of the issue because we are used to treating disease.
“Malnutrition can increase the rate of infection,” Ms Banks added.
![Dandenong Mayor [left] stands next to aged care resident and aged care staff member](https://agedcareguide-assets.imgix.net/news/articles/wp/belv__2204.jpg?fm=pjpg&w=370)
![Dandenong Mayor [left] stands next to aged care resident and aged care staff member](https://agedcareguide-assets.imgix.net/news/articles/wp/belv__2204.jpg?fm=pjpg&w=520&format=auto&q=65)
