Finnish nursing staff report widespread malnutrition due to poor food services

Serious problems plague the food services in elder and disabled care units within the Varsinais-Suomi wellbeing services county (Varha), according to local practical nurses. The union Super's professional associations in the Varha region published an opinion piece detailing these issues and demanding improvements.

"Our nurses are deeply concerned," stated Johanna Jantunen, chair of Super's Raisio professional association. Jantunen highlighted problems observed in her own work area, noting that while these issues may not represent the entire wellbeing area, they illustrate the broader concerns raised by the professional associations.

According to Jantunen, the food provided is often of poor quality, leading residents to refuse to eat it. "I don't remember when we last had mashed potatoes that tasted like potatoes," she said. The services also fail to adequately consider residents' special dietary needs. For instance, "smooth" food, intended for residents without teeth, is sometimes served without sufficient energy-boosting supplements, a problem that has occurred multiple times in Jantunen's unit.

These issues have resulted in residents not eating enough, leading to malnutrition, which the professional associations report is "quite common." The associations also noted an increase in pressure sores among the elderly. Jantunen explained that when residents do not consume enough protein-rich food, skin wounds can appear. Despite reporting these problems to supervisors and Kaarea Oy, the food service provider, the nurses feel the feedback has not led to adequate improvements, with some communications going unanswered or receiving vague responses.

The situation stems from a reform implemented about a year ago, which changed how meals are delivered. Now, meals for Varha's residential units are delivered frozen or chilled and then reheated on-site. Meals for several days are delivered twice a week. Kaarea Oy, an in-house company owned by Varha and several municipalities, stated it was preparing a response to the allegations, to be delivered next week. Varha also stated it was too busy to provide an interview on Friday.