Nutri-Sense Project Aims to Improve Nutrition for Seniors with Digital Tools
A new collaborative project, Nutri-Sense, is underway to enhance the quality of nutrition and hydration for elderly individuals in long-term care, with a particular focus on cultural sensitivity and addressing social inequalities. The initiative seeks to develop digital tools to support healthcare professionals in providing individualized care.
Addressing a Critical Demand
Maintaining adequate nutrition and hydration is crucial for the health and well-being of older adults, and can significantly impact their need for care. However, current care guidelines often lack sufficient attention to the diverse cultural and social factors that influence dietary needs and preferences. The Nutri-Sense project aims to fill this gap by creating resources that are both evidence-based and tailored to the individual.
Digital Support for Personalized Care
Researchers are developing digital applications designed to assist nursing professionals and other caregivers in providing culturally sensitive and diversity-conscious care. These tools will support the nursing process, which involves assessing a resident’s health and personal information – including nutritional and hydration needs – and implementing and documenting professional care. The goal is to develop long-term care more effective and responsive to the unique needs of each resident.
Who is Involved?
Nutri-Sense is a joint project involving:
- Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences: Led by Prof. Dr. Martina Hasseler, Faculty of Health Sciences, Health and Nursing Sciences.
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg: Featuring contributions from Prof. Dr. Michael Feldhaus (Department of Social Sciences) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Hein (Department of Health Services Research).
- OFFIS Institute e.V. Oldenburg: With Dr. Rebecca Diekmann contributing expertise in assistive technologies.
Seeking Participant Input
The project team is actively seeking input from a broad range of individuals, including:
- Nursing specialists
- Nursing assistants
- Management staff in nursing homes
- Relatives of residents
- Residents of nursing homes
Funding and Timeline
Nutri-Sense is funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) and the Volkswagen Foundation as part of the “zukunft.niedersachsen” program. The project is scheduled to run from 2025 to 2029.
Contact Information
For inquiries about participating in interviews, please contact André Heitmann-Möller at an.heitmann-moeller@ostfalia.de.
Source: Nutri-Sense // University of Oldenburg