NUTRITION and hydration for the elderly took centre-stage at the Great Western Hospital.

Hospital staff staged their nutrition, hydration and a sense of ageing event to educate and inform about healthy meals, drinks and care for the elderly.

Stalls from Wiltshire Farm Foods, Age UK, and the Alzheimer’s Society along with Great Western Hospital dieticians and speech and language therapists set up in the hospital atrium.

The event was led by trauma and orthopaedic matron Maxine Buyanga and ties in with national Nutrition and Hydration Week.

Maxine said: “Nutrition and hydration are everybody’s business.

“They are so important, they are everybody’s business to know about and how essential they are to recovery.

“I am really pleased with the event today because nutrition is my passion, I am really passionate about providing the best care for people. It’s essential that we provide the best nutrition and hydration care possible.

“We don’t want elderly people to feel afraid to ask for an extra drink or not be eating properly.

“This week shines a light on how essential it is to know about nutrition and hydration.”

Educational sessions were held in the hospital’s academy, the first for clinicians, dieticians and Carillion staff to learn more about nutrition, hydration and how to improve care for the elderly and the second was for members of the public, carers and patients.

Nutrition and Hydration Week aims to highlight, promote and celebrate improvements in the provision of nutrition and hydration locally, nationally and globally.