​The aim was to assess the additional benefits of individualized nutritional counselling by a Registered Dietitian in geriatric patients’ home after discharge from hospital, in relation to risk of unplanned re-admissions, functional status, nutritional status, use of social services and mortality.

The method was a 12-week single-blinded randomized controlled study among geriatric medical patients (65+ years) at nutritional risk.

Participants were randomly allocated to receive visits in their homes, either three individualized nutritional counsellings by a Registered Dietitian complemented with three follow-up visits by General Practitioners or three follow-up visits by General Practitioners alone.

Main measures were risk of unplanned re-admissions; functional status (hand grip strength, chair-stand test, mobility, disability and tiredness in daily activities, rehabilitation capacity), nutritional status (weight, BMI, energy and protein intake), need of social services (home care, home nursing, meals-on-wheels) and mortality.

152 patients were included in the trial. 132 (87%) completed the first and 124 (82%) the second data collection after 12 weeks. Ten per cent of the participants had three contacts with their General Practitioners, while compliance with the dietetic intervention was almost 100%. Odds ratio for unplanned re-admission and mortality after 26 weeks was 1.62 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85 to 3.10) and 0.60 (95% CI 0.17 to 2.13). The intervention had a positive effect on functional status (i.e. mobility, P = 0.029), and nutritional status (i.e. weight, P = 0.035; energy intake, P < 0.001;="" protein="" intake,="" p="0.001)" and="" the="" use="" of="" meals-on="" wheels="" was="" reduced="" (p="">

In conclusion, follow-up home visits with Registered Dietitians have a positive effect on the functional and nutritional status of geriatric medical patients after discharge.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov 2010 NCT01249716

Read more about the study in:

 - Beck A, Kjær S, Hansen BS, Storm RL, Thal-Jantzen K. Study protocol: Follow-up home visits with nutrition: a randomised controlled trial, BMC Geriatrics 2011: 11: 90

 - Beck A, Kjær S, Hansen BS, Storm RL, Thal-Jantzen K, Bitz C. Follow-up home visits with registered dietitians have a positive effect on the functional and nutritional status of geriatric medical patients after discharge: a randomised controlled trial. Clin Rehab 2012; December 20[Epub ahead of print]