Care Certificate Standard 8 Answers: Fluids and Nutrition

Course – Care Certificate Workbook Answers NVQ/RQF/QCF

Care Certificate standard 8 focuses on having a good understanding of fluids and nutrition in the field of Care. This guide is written to help you gain an understanding of standard 8 and how to answer the questions in the workbook and assessment criteria. For more help, you can contact us and place an order. We are always here to assist you.

Why is this Standard important?

Even the best medical care can’t survive without good nutrition and hydration because that’s the core of recovery or well-being maintenance. A good diet can prevent cancer, so it’s as important as breathing. Standard 8 covers that for you. 

This standard makes sure that participants are well-versed with the skills and knowledge needed to address poor nutrition and dehydration, and overcome that problem appropriately, while maintaining that position for your client’s health even after dealing with it. The participant should have an understanding and awareness of intervening appropriately, since it is not just offering food, it’s about maintaining their health with dignity and respecting their preferences.

Completing this standard will make you feel confident in your skin, and collect skills and knowledge in supporting people with different requirements and issues who might have specific dietary charts, mainly helping you in preventing any serious health problems, promoting better life quality overall. 

Whether it’s helping out a person in picking out their nutritious options, helping them with eating and drinking, or sniffing out early concerning hints of problems, you as caregiver will play a main role in maintaining the wellbeing of the people in your care.

8.1 Understand the principles of hydration, nutrition and food safety

A.C. 8.1a Describe the importance of food safety, including hygiene, in the preparation and handling of food.

Activity 8.1a Part i) Food safety is essential when storing, handling and preparing food. Fill in the table below to list four of the basic principles of food safety, including hygiene.

Activity 8.1a Part ii) Thinking about where you work, describe why food safety, including hygiene, is so important when preparing and handling food.

Food safety is a type of safety that ensures that any form of disease that is borne is prevented, and the food is safe for humans to consume. Different criteria are important to assess to ensure food safety. Those include

• Hygiene Practices: The person who is cooking the food must ensure that they follow proper handwashing and clean the utensils properly before using them. This makes sure that no form of illness is spread due to cleanliness concern.

• Proper Cooking: Proper cooking procedures must be followed to ensure that no kind of illness occurs due to improper cooking practices.

• Storage: Storage plays a key role in ensuring that microbial growth is prevented on the food. The storage can be cold or hot, depending on the need for the particular food.

• Cross Contamination Prevention: Using different equipment, such as knives, a cutting board, ensures that bacteria do not spread through hands or other means into the cooked food.

Teaching everyone in the society about the benefits of a balanced diet and hydration while also talking about the harmful effects following not following a balanced diet and not properly getting hydrated.

A.C. 8.1b Explain the importance of good nutrition and hydration in maintaining health and well-being

Activity 8.1b Part i) Explain the importance of good nutrition and hydration in maintaining health and well-being. 

Good nutrition and proper hydration are essential to maintain good health. As they provide

• Energy: Nutrients provide the energy necessary for day-to-day activities.

• Immune Function: Nutrients are also essential to maintain a strong immune system, which helps to prevent illnesses.

• Mental Health: Mental health is also drastically improved by having a balanced diet with enough nutrition.

• Hydration: Proper hydration maintains body functions and prevents dehydration-related health issues.

Activity 8.1b Part ii) Fill in the answers to the two questions on fluid intake.

1. What is the recommended daily amount of fluid an individual must consume to support good hydration?

1. 1.2 litres or 1200 ml

1. How many 150ml glasses would an individual have to consume to reach the minimum recommended amount?
2. 8 glasses of 150 ml each. 

A.C. 8.1c List signs and symptoms of poor nutrition and hydration

Activity 8.1c Part i) Complete the diagram below to list the signs and symptoms of malnutrition.

Activity 8.1c Part ii) Complete the diagram below to list the signs and symptoms of dehydration. 

Different signs that indicate poor nutrition include

• Physical Symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, Dark urine, and falling ill frequently

• Hydration Symptoms include thirst, dry mouth, dizziness, and confusion

• Nutrition Symptoms include losing weight, weakened muscles, and having very poor concentration.

A.C. 8.1d  Explain how to promote adequate nutrition and hydration

Activity 8.1d As a healthcare support worker or adult social care worker, you are required to promote good nutrition and hydration, encouraging and supporting individuals to have the correct balance of food and fluids according to their care plan. For each of the examples below, explain how you would promote adequate nutrition and hydration for each individual.

• An individual who has had a stroke and whose muscles are weakened: A correct diet is important for this individual.

• An individual who has dementia and forgets to eat and drink: Use subtle reminders for them so they can take the cue without getting forced to.

• An individual who has a visual impairment and needs assistance to maintain their independence when preparing food, eating, and drinking: Guide them with a gentle voice and touch. Provide them with the right equipment, like knifeproof gloves or tactile stickers to put on lids.

Promoting adequate nutrition and hydration is key to a healthy society. This can be achieved by various means

• Diet planning: Diet planning is crucial to follow for people who are sick. Example in cases of diabetic people, such plans are a must to follow. Therefore, based on the nutrition requirements of such an individual diet plan must be made.

• Accessibility: Often, people do not get access to the basic needs; therefore, ensuring that people get access to foods with good nutrition and fluids is important to promoting adequate nutrition and hydration. Such as dementia individuals to be in a calm and relaxed environment, who require water to be placed in an accessible environment.

8.2 Support individuals to have access to fluids by their plan of care 

A.C. 8.2a Ensure drinks are within reach of thosewhot have restrictions on their movement/ mobility

• Location: Drinks must be positioned in a place that is easily accessible to everyone. This ensures that no one is getting dehydrated due to a lack of drinks closer to them.

• Frequent Checks: To ensure that the drinks are filled, do frequent checkups at all the locations where the drink stands are available.

A.C. 8.2b Ensure that drinks are refreshed regularly

• Schedule: Develop habits and schedule such that the person gets hydrated at regular intervals. This can be done by having drinks at frequent intervals, such as once an hour, according to the needs of the person.

• Communication: Also, make sure that all the people in the location know about the schedule for drinks getting refilled.

A.C. 8.2c Ensure that individuals are offered drinksbyh their plan of care

• Personal Plans: Develop a personalised plan for getting hydrated. This often varies from individual to individual and can be made according to the priority of each.

• Variety: Depending on the nutrition and individual preferences, different kinds of drinks can be offered to different individuals based on their needs. This could be plain water, juices, etc.

A.C. 8.2d Support and encourage individuals to drink by their plan of care

• Encouragement: Make sure that every individual is encouraged positively to get hydrated regularly, and appreciate individuals who follow the plan and maintain the hydration streak. They can also be rewarded for maintaining such streaks.

• Social Interaction: Drinks can also be offered during different social gatherings to ensure that the whole community is having drinks in such fun times, which builds a positive outlook on getting hydrated.

A.C. 8.2e Know how to report any concerns to the relevant person. This could include:  

• Senior member of staff, 
• Carer, 
• Family member

Any concerns related to nutrition or hydration must be reported to healthcare supervisors or another person in charge immediately to prevent any future harm to the individual of concern.

8.3 Support individuals to have access to food and nutrition by their plan of care

A.C. 8.3a Ensure any nutritional products are within reach of those who have restrictions on their movement/ mobility 

All the nutritional products must be in a location that is easier to access. This should be

followed especially to facilitate individuals who are disabled and have mobility issues within an area. This enables them to access the required nutrition with ease.

A.C 8.3b Ensure food is provided at the appropriate temperature and by the plan of care, i.e. the individual can eat it 

Food must be maintained at the desired temperature for preventing microbial growth and also to make sure that the temperature is maintained at desired levels for the individual’s consumption.

Food that needs to be served hot should be maintained at high temperatures, whereas cold food must be maintained at a lower temperature to give it its appropriate enjoyment when consumed.

A.C. 8.3c Ensure that appropriate utensils are available to enable the individual to meet their nutritional needs as independently as possible 

Utensils also improve the experience associated with consuming food. People with disability

might face challenges in using utensils. Therefore, the available utensils must be convenient and desired by the individuals using them. Also, it is needed to make sure that the required number of utensils is also available. Individuals should be allowed to choose the utensils that they prefer.

A.C. 8.3d Support and encourage individuals to eat by their plan of care

Care plans, such as regulating meal options according to the individual’s needs while also

considering the preferences, must be encouraged. Enough support must be provided to

individuals to eat by following the diet plans, and also ensuring that they are reminded frequently to adhere to the plan. Many other encouraging acts and assisting acts can be provided to the individual, such as helping in the preparation of the meal.

A.C. 8.3e Know how to report any concerns to the relevant person. This could include:  

• Senior member of staff, 
• Carer,  
• Family member

If there are any issues with the diet plan or the meal, and anything is found undesirable for the individual, they must contact the person in charge to improve the plan and to avoid any undesirable effects to the individual. This can be done by having regular talks and giving

Feedback on the desirability of the plan.

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