Aim To investigate the relationship between nutritional status, functional ability and frailty in older adults participating in a 12‐week Transitional Aged Care Service program. Methods A retrospective analysis of a clinical cohort of older adults aged 65+ years after hospital discharge. At entry into the program and at completion, nutritional status was measured using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), frailty status was measured using the Groningen Frailty Indicator and functional ability was measured using the Modified Barthel Index (MBI). Demographic data were obtained from electronic medical records. Results Baseline data were available for 115 participants (mean age = 81.7 (SD =7.9) years; 20.9% classified as malnourished and 89.6% as frail). A positive association was found between nutritional status and frailty (r = 0.298; P = 0.001), and frailty and functional ability (r = 0.204; P = 0.029). Multiple regression analysis, accounting for the cofounders of baseline MNA, MBI, age, gender, length of hospital stay and living situation, found that nutritional status and functional ability were able to indicate the presence of frailty on admission to the program (P = 0.002, P = 0.007, respectively). In those program completers (n = 79), significant improvements were found in nutritional status, frailty and functional ability (P < 0.0005). Conclusions Nutrition status, frailty and functional ability are closely and positively related, and should therefore be considered simultaneously in rehabilitation for older adults. A post‐hospital transitional program with a multidisciplinary approach significantly improved all three outcomes, suggesting its value in enabling frail older people to remain independent for as long as possible.

Aim:To describe the daily tasks undertaken by dietitians working within the inpatient and outpatient sectors within the NSW public hospital system. Methods: This study used an ethnographic methodology that employed a direct, non-participatory, discontinuous, observational technique to observe hospital dietitians, in both outpatient and inpatient settings, during a typical work shift. Trained volunteer observers collected the data over a three-year period (2008, 2009 and 2010). The data were combined and then sorted into five categories including: direct patient care, indirect patient care, communication, administration and education of self or others. Results: A total of 609 hours and 21 minutes were observed across a three-year time period 2008-2010. On average, the dietitians in both inpatient and outpatient settings spent 18.3-32.2% of their time in direct patient care activities. The majority of time was spent in indirect patient care activities such as: information collection, documentation and discussion with other health-care professionals. A comparison between the two work settings showed that those dietitians working in the inpatient setting spent less time in direct patient care (18.3% vs 33.1%, P < 0.05), and more time in indirect care activities (41.7% vs 23.3%, P < 0.05) and in communication about patient care (22.7% vs 14.4%, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The findings show that dietitians spend most of their time doing activities that support patient care, but these activities occur away from the patient.