Effects of Nutritional Supplementation and Dietary Advice in Elderly Patients After Hospital Discharge.

Effects of Six Months Treatment With Nutritional Supplements or Dietary Advice, Alone or in Combination on Mortality, Health-related Quality of Life and Health-care Consumption for Elderly Patients at Risk of Malnutrition.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of nutritional therapy in elderly malnourished patients. The hypothesises are that nutritional supplementation and dietary advice alone or in combination affects mortality, quality of life and health-care consumption after six month of treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• ≥65 years old
• Admitted to one of the participating wards during the recruitment period

Exclusion Criteria:

• Well-nourished
• No consent to participate
• Not able to communicate
• Not able to understand swedish
• Presumed life-expectancy <1 year
• Already receiving nutritional therapy including dietary advice, supplements, tube-feeding or parenteral nutrition
• Dietary restrictions due to illness or disease inconsistent with the intervention
• Impaired cognitive function or dementia
• Body mass index ≥35
• Living in old peoples homes, sheltered housing, institution, service flats or nursing homes
• Participant in a study evaluating differences in 3-year mortality between well-nourished patients, patients at risk of malnutrition and malnourished patients