Connie has been identified as being at risk of malnutrition due to her MUST score of 5 and swallowing issues. It is important to be able to monitor how well she manages her diet and drinks. There are many reasons why she may not manage to meet her needs whilst in hospital after having a stroke. In the exercise below you can find some of these reasons:
| Problem | Potential impact |
| Left or right sided weakness or grip | Unable to self administer food/drink |
| Visual impairment/neglect | Unable to see food |
| Fatigue | Effort of eating or sitting out to eat |
| Needs assisted with oral cares | Poor oral hygiene results in unpleasant taste /sore mouth |
| Constipation from reduced mobility/medications | Bloatedness and reduced appetite |
| Communication difficulties | Cannot express likes/dislikes/needs effectively |
| Requires modified consistency diet | Food does not appear appetising or provide variety of texture |
Page last reviewed: 10 Apr 2021
