Why nutritional care matters
Good nutrition plays an important role in supporting your client’s health.
The right diet can help older adults:
- Restore and maintain health and independence
- Manage chronic conditions
- Maintain physical strength and mobility, and reduce the risk of frailty and falls
- Recover more effectively from injury or illness
- Support their brain, thinking skills, and memory
- Support their mood and energy levels
- Prevent malnutrition
Nutritional care is part of the strengthened aged care standards.
It supports your client to keep or build their abilities. This helps maintain independence and quality of life.
For support workers and allied health staff
Understanding dietitians in aged care
In aged care, a dietitian means a person who is accredited by Dietitians Australia as an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD).
APDs are allied health professionals with university qualifications.
An APD can support your client with expert medical nutrition therapy. This includes using food and nutrition to treat or manage health problems.
What do dietitians do?
- Check clients’ nutrition and health needs
- Work with care teams including carers and family members to make meal plans that suit clients’ needs and preferences
- Support clients to manage long-term health conditions with diet
When to refer
When a client's nutritional needs aren’t met, it can impact their independence or quality of life.
If your client presents with signs or risks of not meeting their nutritional needs, consider referring them to an APD.
Here are some indicators for referral:
- Unexplained weight loss or gain
- Swallowing difficulties
- Not as hungry or thirsty as usual
- Digestive issues
- Wounds that are not healing well
- Chronic conditions needing dietary support e.g. diabetes, heart disease, cancer
- Dementia or any other condition that impacts the client’s usual eating habits
How good nutrition supports reablement
Good nutrition is key for helping your client's energy levels, strength, and mobility.
It also supports memory and thinking skills. In fact, a review from 2023 found that a healthy diet may even lower the risk of developing dementia.
These benefits can mean your client feels more like themselves. This can give them the confidence they need to try new reablement strategies.
Case example:
Dan noticed his client with type 2 diabetes, Carrie, had low energy and mood. Dan referred Carrie to an APD.
The APD worked with Carrie to create a personalised meal plan that met Carrie’s needs and food preferences. The APD also gave Carrie advice on how to manage her type 2 diabetes through diet.
Within weeks, Carrie told Dan she felt more energised and happier. This gave her more confidence in managing her blood sugar and daily meals.
The difference between Accredited Practising Dietitians and other nutrition professionals
Accredited Practising Dietitians
APDs must have completed a university degree. This degree must be accredited by Dietitians Australia (DA). It includes supervised practical training in:
- Clinical nutrition
- Food service
- Community nutrition
The APD program is nationally recognised and regulated by DA. Dietitians can only keep APD status if they:
- Do continuous training and education
- Keep their practice recent and ethical
- Follow the DA Code of Conduct for Dietitians and Nutritionists
An APD can give clients:
- Advice about their diet to help them eat healthy
- Medical nutrition therapy to help manage specific health problems
Other nutrition professionals
Other nutrition workers, like nutritionists, can have different types of training. Some study at university, while others do short courses.
The title ‘nutritionist’ is not regulated. This means anyone can call themself one, no matter their training.
Some nutritionists with a university degree may join the Nutrition Society of Australia, but they don’t have to.
Nutritionists can give clients advice about their diet to help them eat healthy. But they:
- Are not qualified to treat health problems
- Cannot give medical nutrition therapy to clients
For managers and providers
Qualifications to look for in a dietitian
When referring to a dietitian, always refer to an APD.
Check for:
- APD status and membership with Dietitians Australia
- Proof of professional insurance that covers the service they’ll be providing
Learn more about allied health qualification and registration requirements.
This helps to:
- Keep clients safe
- Ensure compliance with aged care rules
- Ensure the dietitian is accountable for the care they give the client
Takeaway
Here’s a summary of the key points made in this article:
- Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) play a vital role in reablement and healthy ageing.
- Support workers can help with identifying when to refer clients to an APD.
- Managers and providers must ensure dietitians have the APD credential before referring clients to them.
- Keep Able provides resources to help staff and managers get the right care for clients. This includes safe, evidence-based nutrition support.