Almost a quarter of Stirling pensioners 'at risk of malnutrition' over last three years

Almost a quarter of pensioners in Stirling and Clackmannanshire were at risk of malnutrition in the past three years, according to new figures.

The shock new statistics, released by older people’s charity Food Train, has led the charity to call on the Scottish Government to take action to address the issue.

Research by Food Train looked at the extent of food insecurity in the elderly, but the group fears the figure could be much higher than initially reported.

The research looked at eight areas of Scotland, along with the country as a whole, and found 23 per cent of pensioners in Stirling and Clackmannanshire were at risk of malnutrition in the past three years. In Glasgow and Falkirk that figure was 28 per cent, whilst Dundee also recorded 23 per cent.

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The charity said it will this week write to every MSP in Holyrood calling for all agencies supporting older people to implement mandatory screening for malnutrition, as well as the right to food to be embedded in Scots law and the creation of an older people’s minister post.

Food Train chief executive Rosie McLuskie said: “In this day and age, it’s staggering that 16 per cent of older people are at risk of malnutrition in Scotland.

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“Rates simply shouldn’t be so high.

“But the concerning reality is that this number is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg.

“The people we have screened are those who have accessed a service run by us, or one of our partners.

“What about the people who aren’t using services like ours and are slipping through the net?

“Malnourishment among older people is a hidden problem, which has a serious impact on people’s health.

“For their sake, we need to redouble efforts to get an accurate picture of the scale of those at risk – and those who are actually malnourished and need immediate help.”

She added: “There’s lots of talk about food poverty but not access to food.

“Making sure that people have access to food is so important and needs to be addressed in public policy.”

Jen Grant, a dietitian working on one of Food Train’s projects, said: “Malnourishment is both a cause and consequence of ill health.

“People who are malnourished are at increased risk of becoming unwell and malnourishment can exacerbate other health concerns – including becoming frail and suffering falls.”

Public Health Secretary Jenni Minto said: “Scotland’s communities experience health, quality of life and life expectancy differently across our society.

“No one should have to compromise on food or other essentials, and we are working to support older people and tackle poverty.

“We’re focused on working with partners and taking preventative action to drive improvements in population health which will increase healthy life expectancy and reduce health inequalities.”

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The shock figures were published in the same week that it was revealed that a Stirling foodbank is to close its doors. Transition Stirling announced that its Community Food Project will come to an end from next month.

Announcing the decision, Transition Stirling said: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the upcoming closure of the Community Food Project.

“Despite the dedication of our team and volunteers, we are unable to continue providing food collections in the current way.

“Our final collection will be December 7 and we will be vacating the Wellgreen site around the end of the year.”

Transition Stirling, in partnership with the Kitchen at 44, established Stirling Community Food back in March 2020.

Based in Wellgreen Lane in the city centre, the project helps to reduce food waste, collecting excess food from local supermarkets and offering it to members of the community for free.