Local Assembly Member, Peter Black, has pledged his support for Age Concern Swansea's 'Hungry to be Heard' national day of action. The campaign is to focus on the issue of malnutrition of older people in hospitals.
Age Concern Swansea have stated that six out of ten older people are at risk of becoming malnourished, or of their situation getting worse, whilst they are in hospital. This can cause them to stay in hospital longer and means that they are three times more likely to develop complications during surgery. Age Concern Swansea is highlighting this problem with an event in Swansea, featuring speakers and a chance for people to share their views and experiences.
"Malnutrition is not simply a lack of food, it is a lack of the right food." said Mr. Black. "It simply should not be an issue for people whilst they are staying in hospital, where their diet should be controlled to ensure that they are getting the nutrition needed to help their condition. It is not possible of course to dictate to people what they eat at home, however it is possible to educate them about good diet."
"Nutritious food for children has been a political issue for the last few years. This should not be at the expense of other generations. I back Age Concern's campaign and urge National Health Trusts to review the food they are providing and its nutritional content. I would also like to see moves towards providing educative materials that target our older generations."
