[Screening and Assessment for an Early Identification of Malnutrition in Older People]

Screening and Assessment for an Early Identification of Malnutrition in Older People Abstract: Malnutrition is common among older people and leads to numerous negative clinical consequences due to changes in body composition and body function. A prerequisite for successful prevention and treatment is the early identification of older persons with (risk of) malnutrition. Therefore, in geriatric settings, routine malnutrition screening with a validated tool (e.g., Mini Nutritional Assessment or Nutritional Risk Screening) is recommended at regular intervals. In case of a positive screening result, a subsequent nutritional assessment is performed to confirm the diagnosis, to clarify the causes and to determine the energy and protein deficit, in order to initiate a targeted nutritional therapy and to improve the nutritional status of the older persons and thereby the overall prognosis.