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Hydration and Nutrition Training Course for Better Health

Dehydration and malnutrition rarely announce themselves. They show up as a fall, a UTI, confusion that gets mistaken for dementia, or a wound that will not heal. By the time anyone connects the dots, the person has already lost ground.

The scale is bigger than most teams realise. One UK study found 48% of care home residents were dehydrated or close to it, and residents admitted to hospital were far more likely to be dehydrated than older people admitted from their own homes. Research from 2023 put the additional cost of a person with malnutrition at £7,775 per year, totalling an estimated £22.6 billion to the health system in England. 

This course puts that knowledge into your hands in under two hours. You will learn what the body actually needs, how to spot the signs that someone is not getting it, and exactly what to do next. Every module is built around real situations: the resident who refuses lunch, the person who avoids drinking because they are worried about getting to the toilet, the patient whose weight has dropped without anyone recording it.
No jargon.

No theory you cannot use on your next shift. You work through short video lessons, scenario-based checks and downloadable tools you can keep, including a fluid intake prompt card and a nutrition screening quick guide.

Course Objective

You will be able to explain why fluid and nutritional needs change with age, illness and medication, and why standard advice does not fit everyone and recognise the early, easily missed indicators of dehydration and under-nutrition before they become a hospital admission. You will learn practical mealtime and hydration techniques and apply it when working with people who have swallowing difficulties or reduced appetite. Finally, you will learn how to record intake accurately and escalate concerns to the right professional at the right time.

Who this course is for

  • Care assistants, support workers and senior carers in residential, nursing and domiciliary settings. 
  • Healthcare assistants, nursing associates and registered nurses refreshing core practice. 
  • Catering and hospitality staff working in care and hospital environments. 
  • Personal assistants and family carers supporting someone at home. 
  • Managers inducting new staff against Care Certificate Standard 8.
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Learning Outcome

On completing this course, you will be able to:
  1. Describe how fluid and nutritional requirements change with age, illness, medication and cognitive impairment. 
  2. Identify at least six early signs of dehydration and six of under-nutrition in the people you support. 
  3. Apply the MUST screening tool to calculate a risk score and determine the appropriate action. 
  4. Demonstrate practical techniques to increase fluid and calorie intake, including food fortification and appropriate assistance at mealtimes. 
  5. Recognise the signs of swallowing difficulty and explain when and how to escalate for specialist assessment. 
  6. Complete fluid balance and food intake records accurately enough to support clinical decisions and inspection evidence.
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