30–60 per cent of older adults in hospitals and nursing homes are malnourished. A well-suited screening tool is to detect the persons who are at risk of malnutrition.

Group-based self-management programmes make it easier to cope with the disease. However, half of all patients decline to participate in such programmes. 

Weight is one of the simplest measurements of nutritional status. Nevertheless, a number of personnel in the community nursing services lack knowledge about nutrition and good routines for weighing patients. 

Following the introduction of the Coordination Reform, nurses employed by the municipal health service have had to deal with a growing number of complex, patient-focused tasks. The need for professional development is considerable, but there is no overall strategy in place.