Welcome

Nutrition and hydration are everyday care responsibilities. Good eating and drinking help people stay stronger, more comfortable and better able to recover from illness. Reduced intake or dehydration can lead to weakness, dizziness, constipation, confusion and increased risk of harm.

This course is for care assistants, senior carers, support workers, team leaders, supervisors, night staff and other frontline care staff working in residential and nursing homes, supported living and other adult social care settings. It is a practical support and escalation course and does not replace dietetic advice, speech and language therapy assessment, clinical diagnosis, prescribing decisions or local competency requirements for screening tools and specialist care plans.

This course is written for UK adult social care staff and uses official sources relevant to daily practice across the UK, including NICE nutrition support guidance, NHS dehydration guidance, the Care Certificate, CQC adult social care guidance for England, and official resources for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The practical instruction is UK-wide: follow the person's care plan, local policy and your country's regulator or clinical pathway.

Four-nations note

Why This Course Matters

• Problems can be missed quietly: poor intake, losing weight, loose clothing, dark urine or increased tiredness may develop before anyone acts.
• Support is about dignity as well as calories: time, choice, culturally appropriate options, suitable utensils, well-fitting dentures and a calm environment all affect intake.
• Dehydration can worsen quickly: dizziness, constipation, confusion, falls and hospital admission can follow if it is not recognised and treated.
• Care plans matter: swallowing guidance, fluid restrictions, supplements and food texture must be followed, not improvised.
• Frontline observations matter: care staff often notice refusal, reduced intake or behavioural change before other professionals.

How This Course Will Help You

By the end of the course you should be better able to support safer eating and drinking, recognise poor intake and dehydration risk earlier, apply consent and choice in practice, follow swallowing and nutrition plans reliably, and escalate concerns appropriately without exceeding your role.

A Simple Nutrition and Hydration Spine

• Start with the person: follow preferences, the care plan, cultural needs, consent and agreed support level.
• Notice change early: watch appetite, weight, urine, bowels, energy, swallowing and signs of illness.
• Do the basics well: allow enough time, use correct positioning, maintain oral care, ensure drinks are accessible, offer prompts and record intake accurately.
• Do not guess around dysphagia: follow the current plan exactly and escalate any change.
• Escalate promptly: poor intake and dehydration should not be left to drift across shifts.