Nutrition Hydration and Wellbeing Awareness Training for Companions
A missed drink, a skipped meal, or a sudden change in appetite can look small at first. For someone who lives alone, is recovering from illness, or finds daily routines difficult, it can quickly affect energy, mood, confidence, and safety.
Nutrition, hydration, and wellbeing are closely linked. Food and fluids help the body function, but they also support independence, dignity, comfort, and quality of life. In companionship services, the aim is not to give clinical dietary advice. The role is to notice, encourage, support choice, and report concerns when something does not feel right.
Mandatory Training 28, Nutrition, Hydration & Wellbeing Awareness, gives companions, volunteers, team leaders, coordinators, and management staff a clear understanding of how to support healthy habits while staying within professional boundaries.
Course information
This mandatory course introduces the key principles of nutrition, hydration, and wellbeing in a companionship setting. It is suitable for people in direct support roles as well as those who supervise, coordinate, or manage companionship services.
Course detail | Information |
Course title | Nutrition, Hydration & Wellbeing Awareness |
Course reference | MT28 |
Target audience | All companions, volunteers, team leaders, coordinators, and management staff |
Duration | 2 hours |
Delivery method | E-learning, virtual classroom, or face-to-face training |
Refresher period | Every 3 years |
Assessment | 10 randomly selected questions from a bank of 15 |
Pass mark | 80% |
The training is designed to be practical. It focuses on what companions may see during day-to-day contact, what they can safely do, and when they should pass information on.
This content is for awareness and training purposes only. It does not replace advice from a GP, dietitian, pharmacist, nurse, speech and language therapist, or other qualified health professional.
Why nutrition and hydration matter in companionship
Good nutrition means getting the food and nutrients the body needs to maintain health and function. Hydration means taking in enough fluid for the body to work well. Both affect everyday life in visible ways.
When someone eats and drinks well, they are more likely to have:
Better energy for daily activities
Improved concentration and alertness
Greater physical comfort
Better skin and mouth comfort
Fewer problems linked to constipation or fatigue
More confidence to keep routines and social contact
For many people receiving companionship services, eating and drinking are not only physical needs. Meals can be tied to memory, independence, culture, routine, grief, loneliness, or anxiety. A person may eat less because preparing food feels tiring. They may drink less because they worry about getting to the toilet. They may avoid shopping because they feel unsteady outside.
The companion’s role is to see the whole picture. A cup of tea, a glass of water, or a shared conversation about lunch can give useful clues about wellbeing.
What companions are expected to understand
The learning objectives for MT28 set out the knowledge learners should gain by the end of the course. They cover practical awareness, safe support, and professional responsibility.
By the end of the training, learners should be able to:
Understand the importance of nutrition and hydration.
Recognise factors that affect eating and drinking.
Identify signs of poor nutrition and dehydration.
Promote healthy lifestyle choices.
Understand the relationship between nutrition and wellbeing.
Recognise safeguarding concerns linked to nutrition.
Support independence and choice.
Record and report concerns appropriately.
Maintain professional boundaries.
10. Follow organisational policies and procedures.
These objectives reflect a key principle: companions can make a real difference without stepping into clinical decision-making.
A companion may notice that someone has unopened food in the fridge, seems confused, or has not touched a drink during a visit. They may gently encourage fluids if this is appropriate, support a routine, or help the person think about easy meal options. They should not diagnose, prescribe diets, restrict foods, recommend supplements, or override professional advice.
Factors that can affect eating and drinking
Eating and drinking can change for many reasons. Some are obvious, while others are easy to miss.
Common factors include:
Physical health
Illness, pain, tiredness, swallowing difficulties, dental problems, nausea, or changes in mobility can make meals harder.
Medication
Some medicines can affect appetite, taste, thirst, digestion, or alertness. Concerns about side effects should be reported through the correct route, not managed informally.
Memory and cognition
A person may forget to eat, forget they have already eaten, leave food to spoil, or struggle to follow cooking steps safely.
Mental wellbeing
Low mood, anxiety, grief, loneliness, or loss of routine can reduce appetite or motivation to prepare meals.
Environment
A cold kitchen, poor lighting, lack of suitable cooking equipment, or difficulty carrying shopping can all affect food and drink intake.
Finances and access
Some people may have limited money for food, difficulty getting to shops, or reduced access to familiar foods.
Personal preference and culture
Food choices may be shaped by faith, culture, values, past experiences, allergies, intolerances, or lifelong routines.
A respectful approach matters. Support should never feel like pressure. A person has the right to make choices, including choices others may not agree with, as long as they have capacity and there is no immediate risk that requires escalation.
Signs of poor nutrition and dehydration
Companions are often well placed to notice gradual changes because they may see someone regularly. The aim is not to assess clinically, but to recognise possible concerns.
Possible signs of poor nutrition may include:
Noticeable weight loss or loose clothing
Reduced appetite or repeated skipped meals
Empty cupboards or lack of fresh food
Food left uneaten for long periods
Tiredness, weakness, or low energy
Dizziness or increased unsteadiness
Poor wound healing or frequent infections
Changes in mood, concentration, or motivation
Possible signs of dehydration may include:
Feeling very thirsty
Dry mouth or cracked lips
Headache or dizziness
Dark urine or passing urine less often
Constipation
Confusion or increased drowsiness
Tiredness or weakness
Some signs can have many causes. For example, confusion may relate to infection, medication, dehydration, dementia, or another health issue. That is why reporting matters. The right person needs the right information at the right time.
A helpful record might include what was seen, when it happened, what the person said, and what action was taken. Keep records factual. Avoid assumptions such as “they are neglecting themselves” unless this has been properly assessed. A clearer note would be: “During today’s visit, the fridge contained only milk past its use-by date. Mrs K said she had not been shopping this week and had eaten toast for the last two days.”
Promoting healthy choices without giving clinical advice
Companions can support healthy lifestyles in simple, person-centred ways. The focus should be on encouragement, routine, dignity, and independence.
Useful approaches include:
Offering gentle prompts to have a drink, where this fits the person’s care plan
Encouraging regular meals or snacks based on the person’s preferences
Supporting shopping lists or meal planning if this is part of the agreed role
Checking that drinks are within reach during the visit
Noticing whether food is out of date, spoiled, or unsafe to eat
Encouraging social connection around meals where appropriate
Respecting religious, cultural, ethical, and personal food choices
Reporting concerns rather than trying to solve complex issues alone
The UK Eatwell Guide is often used as a broad public health reference for balanced eating, but companions should avoid turning general guidance into individual dietary instruction. Someone with diabetes, kidney disease, swallowing difficulties, allergies, or a prescribed diet may need specific advice from a qualified professional.
Good support sounds like:
“Would you like me to put your water somewhere easy to reach before I leave?”
It does not sound like:
“You should stop eating that and take these supplements instead.”
That difference protects the person and the companion.
How nutrition connects with wellbeing
Food and drink are part of wellbeing because they affect both body and mind. A person who is dehydrated or not eating enough may feel tired, irritable, low, or confused. Someone who feels isolated may lose interest in cooking. These issues can feed into each other.
Companionship can help by restoring small routines. A familiar weekly visit may encourage someone to think about meals, plan shopping, or enjoy a drink during conversation. For some people, the social side matters as much as the food itself.
Wellbeing also includes choice. A person may prefer a small meal, a familiar dish, or a snack at a different time of day. Support should fit the person, not force a fixed idea of what “healthy” looks like.
This is especially relevant when working with older adults, people living alone, and people recovering from illness. A realistic plan that the person wants to follow is usually more useful than an ideal plan they dislike and ignore.
Safeguarding concerns linked to food and fluids
Nutrition and hydration can become safeguarding issues when a person is at risk of neglect, self-neglect, abuse, coercion, or avoidable harm.
Possible safeguarding concerns include:
No access to food, drink, or money for essentials
Repeated lack of safe food in the home
Another person controlling what someone can eat or drink
A person being left without support they depend on for meals
Unsafe weight loss or dehydration concerns that are not being addressed
Food being withheld as punishment or control
Severe self-neglect linked to declining health, cognition, or mental wellbeing
Companions should follow organisational safeguarding procedures. If there is immediate danger, urgent action may be needed according to local policy and emergency guidance. If the concern is not immediate, it should still be recorded and reported through the correct route.
The key rule is simple: do not keep worrying signs to yourself. Timely reporting helps managers, coordinators, families, carers, or health professionals respond appropriately.
Professional boundaries and safe practice
The role of a companion is supportive, not clinical. Boundaries keep everyone safe.
Companions should not:
Create personalised diets unless qualified and authorised
Recommend supplements or herbal remedies
Advise someone to stop or change prescribed medication
Ignore swallowing concerns or choking risks
Purchase food outside agreed arrangements
Use personal money or informal agreements to solve ongoing food access issues
Promise confidentiality when a safeguarding concern needs to be shared
Make judgemental comments about weight, appetite, culture, or food choices
They should:
Work within the care or support plan
Follow organisational policies
Record concerns clearly and promptly
Seek advice from a team leader or coordinator
Respect consent, capacity, dignity, and choice
Escalate safeguarding or health concerns through the right channels
Professional boundaries do not reduce care. They make care safer, clearer, and more reliable.
What effective training should achieve
A good Nutrition Hydration and Wellbeing Awareness Training for Companions course should leave learners with confidence in three areas.
They should know what to look for. This includes common signs of poor nutrition, dehydration, changes in routine, and possible safeguarding concerns.
They should know what they can do. This means offering appropriate prompts, supporting independence, respecting choice, and encouraging healthy habits within the agreed role.
They should know when to report. Concerns about health, safety, neglect, self-neglect, or sudden changes should never rely on guesswork or informal judgement.
The assessment for MT28 supports this by checking key knowledge through 10 randomly selected questions from a bank of 15. The 80% pass mark helps confirm that learners understand the core principles before applying them in practice.
Key takeaway
Nutrition and hydration are everyday issues, but they can reveal a great deal about someone’s health, independence, and wellbeing. Companions do not need to act as clinicians to make a positive difference. They need to notice changes, support choice, encourage safe routines, respect boundaries, and report concerns clearly.
MT28 gives staff and volunteers the shared awareness to do that consistently. When everyone understands their role, small observations can lead to better support, safer care, and a more dignified experience for the person receiving companionship.
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