‘People can feel lost’

New project aims to tackle undernourishment in OAPs

Nourishing Coldside is a scheme being piloted by Dundee Voluntary Action (DVA), which aims to help over-65s.

Undernourishment differs from malnourishment in that, rather than not eating enough nutritious food, people aren’t eating enough at all.

Residents and local businesses in the Coldside area are being invited to an event in Coldside Church on Wednesday November 8, from 9.30am4pm, to share their views and daily experiences of food.

Project coordinator Darryl Gaffney du Plooy said that older people were especially vulnerable to undernourishment, for a variety of reasons. He said: “There are about 20,000 people in the NHS Tayside area who are considered undernourished. It can stem from poverty, for example, or if someone has recently been bereaved and their partner did all the cooking — people can feel a bit lost.

“Older people are also more vulnerable to the choice of food or fuel, choosing between eating or turning on a heater in one room. We need to see through local people’s eyes what the challenges are to maintaining a healthy weight.”

Using the experiences gathered on the day, Darryl and his team hope to be able to create community-based solutions to help locals look after themselves in the longer term. If the project is successful, it could be rolled out to other areas of the city. He said: “People who want to come along don’t have to have experience of undernourishment. We’re looking for people who have experience of being over 65 in Coldside.”

To attend the event, which includes a free lunch, call Darryl on 01382 797 741 or email darrylgaffney@dva.scot.

A NEW project in Dundee is set to tackle the issue of undernourishment among the over-65s — and needs the help of locals to take off.

Darryl Gaffney du Plooy, coordinator of Dundee Voluntary Action’s Nourishing Coldside, pictured at Dundee Law with a flyer for the forthcoming event.