2,000 care homes failing on basic meal standards for elderly - Burstow

12.00.00am GMT Wed 28th Dec 2005

Over 2,000 care homes for the elderly failed to meet basic minimum standards for meals and mealtimes last year according to figures uncovered by Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow.

More than 250 care homes failed the Government standards governing the provision of meals by a significant degree, with a further 1,850 homes narrowly missing the standards

And Paul Burstow MP has forced the Government into admitting that it has done no work to assess the true extent of malnutrition in care homes. Independent research indicates that 80-100% of care home residents are malnourished.

Mr Burstow is calling for basic nutritional standards for meals provided to older people in care homes equivalent to those announced by the Government this summer for school children, following Jamie Oliver's high profile campaign.

Paul Burstow MP commented:

"Frail and vulnerable older people go into care homes to be cared for, not to be starved. It is shocking that today almost one in five care homes do not meet even the most basic of meal standards.

"The recent focus on children's nutrition is welcome but we need a Jamie Oliver style campaign to transform the menus of care homes too.

"It is a scandal that the Government does not even seem to know or care about the quality of food in care homes, but if independent research is true urgent action is needed to put in place tough national nutritional standards for care homes."

ENDS.