The following message is from Alberta Health Services Nutrition Services:
Many older Albertans are at risk of poor nutrition, which can contribute to frailty, falls, increased medication complications, and a decline in overall health— often without being noticed.
Early, routine nutrition screening can help identify warning signs such as unintentional weight loss, appetite changes, swallowing difficulties, and challenges with meal preparation. Identifying these issues early supports timely intervention and can prevent malnutrition.
The Nutrition Check-up for Older Adults is a quick, online screening tool that takes only a few minutes to complete. It is based on the validated Canadian SCREEN-8© tool, designed specifically to detect early signs of poor nutrition in older adults.
Participants receive a personalized report with
- practical nutrition tips,
- resources to support healthy eating, and
- a summary of what’s going well and where improvements may help.
The Check-up includes standard nutrition screening questions as well as two food security related questions to help identify broader challenges affecting access to healthy food.
Pharmacy teams are encouraged to share this resource with older adults, families, caregivers, and to display the promotional poster in waiting or consultation areas.
- Access the tool here:
- Access the posters here:
For more information on nutrition for older adults, visit: Older Adult Nutrition | Alberta Health Services
For more information, please contact publichealth.nutrition@albertahealthservices.ca
