CHS68 Support individuals with long term conditions to manage their nutrition

Overview

This standard covers the way practitioners can support individuals with long term conditions to manage their nutrition.  The practitioner will need to review all relevant information about the individual’s condition and symptoms, and confirm with them the actions being taken to manage their nutrition.  The practitioner can monitor the use of interventions, and identify how effective they have been and whether any problems have emerged.  They will also be in a position to assist the individual to monitor their own nutrition. Users of this standard will need to ensure that practice reflects up to date information and policies. Version No 1

Knowledge and Understanding

You will need to know and understand:

1. the relationships between individuals and their carers, and how much they might want their involvement
2. the difficulties with communication that can arise as a result of specific long term conditions, and how this changes according to fluctuations of symptoms
3. the role of carers and others in facilitating communication
4. relevant legislation and the parts relating to the care of individuals, including the role of practitioners and clinical practice, human rights, data protection, and health and safety
5. the principles of informed consent, including implied consent  and expressed consent, and how these are applied in practice to protect individuals
6. the symptoms of specific long term conditions and how they can be recognised
7. how symptoms interact with each other
8. how symptoms can mask or be indications of other non-long term conditions and co-morbidities
9. the impact of symptoms on behaviour and lifestyle
10. the interventions that can be used for managing symptoms
11. the requirements and needs of individuals, and the resources and services that are available to help them
12. individuals’ rights to information, and what is likely to be most useful to them during the different phases of a long term condition
13. the current issues and research debates on long term conditions
14. authoritative information and available resources including national, local and voluntary agencies for practitioners, individuals, and carers
15. the changes that occur during different stages of specific long term conditions
16. the roles and responsibilities of individuals for managing their own long term conditions
17. when to review the management of long term conditions
18. the aetiology, course, and progression of specific long term conditions
19. the possible causes of specific long term conditions, including genetic or environmental factors
20. the anatomy and physiology relevant to specific long term conditions
21. the symptoms, complications, and outcomes of specific long term conditions
22. the short, medium, and long term effects of specific long term conditions on individuals and their carers
23. the interventions for specific long term conditions
24. baseline levels of nutrition for individuals
25. the difficulties with nutrition that can arise as a result of specific long term conditions, and how nutritional requirements change according to fluctuations of symptoms
26. the guidelines and procedures for dealing with difficulties with nutrition
27. the methods and equipment that can be used to assess and monitor nutrition
28. the interventions available for assisting the management of nutrition
29. the services and resources available for dealing with difficulties with nutrition

Performance Criteria

You must be able to do the following:

1. respect the individual’s rights and wishes relating to their privacy, beliefs, and dignity, and obtain informed consent whenever appropriate
2. provide appropriate support and information to the individual, and the carers they specify, to enable them to make informed choices throughout the management of their nutrition
3. review all relevant information about the individual’s condition and symptoms
4. confirm with the individual that they are able to manage their nutrition, and where this is not possible, ensure that the relevant practitioners provide them with appropriate support
5. identify the most appropriate interventions to use with the individual to manage their nutrition
6. enable the individual to monitor their responses to the use of interventions, and to report any concerns or problems with them
7. establish whether the interventions are being suitably provided and utilised
8. monitor the nutrition of the individual, and take appropriate action to respond to any nutritional difficulties or adverse effects
9. keep accurate, legible, and complete records, and comply with all the relevant legal, professional, and organisational requirements and guidelines

Additional Information

This National Occupational Standard was developed by Skills for Health. This standard links with the following dimension within the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (October 2004): Dimension: HWB6 Assessment and treatment planning This standard has replaced LTCN19