The novel food service concept had a significant positive impact on overall protein intake and on weight-adjusted energy intake in hospitalised patients at nutritional risk.

Individualised dietary counselling by dietitians following discharge from acute hospital to home improved BW, as well as energy and protein intake, in older nutritionally at-risk patients, although without clearly improving physical function. The effect of this strategy on physical function and other relevant clinical outcomes warrants further investigation.

Providing a protein-enriched menu in conjunction with individualized dietary counseling significantly increased protein and energy intake in hospitalized patients at nutrition risk.

No overall significant differences in energy and protein intake between the groups were found. However, the present pilot study revealed a significant time gradient in total energy intake (P = 0.001) and in energy intake from the novel menu (P = 0.03). This indicates the need to include a run-in period when investigating novel hospital menus as a support for patients at nutritional risk. Additionally, food service, available 24 h a day, appears to be unnecessary.

Low-intake dehydration is a common and often chronic condition in older adults. Adverse health outcomes associated with low-intake dehydration in older adults include poorer cognitive performance, reduced quality of life, worsened course of illness and recovery, and a high number of unplanned hospital admissions and increased mortality. The subjective methods to assess (risk of) dehydration are not reliable, and the evidence about preventive measures are also limited. So is the knowledge about the optimal intake of beverages per day. This narrative review presents the state of the science on the role of low intake hydration in older adults. Despite its simple cause—the inadequate intake of beverages—low-intake dehydration appears to be a very complex problem to address and much more research is needed in the area. Based on the existing evidence, it seems necessary to take setting specific differences and individual problems and needs into account to tackle dehydration in older adults. Further, it is necessary to increase awareness of the prevalence and severity of low-intake dehydration among older adults and in nursing staff in care homes and hospitals as well as among caregivers of older adults living at home.

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