The Role of Sensory Science in Improving the Nutritional Status of the Elderly - Term Paper Example

Running Head: SENSORY CAPACITY OF THE ELDERLY Sensory Capacity Of The Elderly [The Writer’s Name] [The Name of the Institution] Sensory Capacity Of The Elderly Introduction Nutrition remains significant all through life. Several chronic diseases that grow late in life, such as osteoporosis, can be due to poor habits earlier in one’s life. Inadequate exercise as well as calcium intake, particularly during adolescence and early middle age, can considerably amplify the danger of osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become fragile and break or crack effortlessly. But good nutrition in the afterward years still can assist lessen the effects of diseases prevalent amongst older people or progress the quality of life in individuals who have such diseases. They consist of osteoporosis, obesity, heart diseases, high blood pressure, some kind of cancers, gastrointestinal troubles as well as chronic under nutrition. (Tremblay, 2004) Studies explain that a healthy diet in later years helps both in decreasing the danger of these diseases and in managing the diseases' signs as well as symptoms. This adds to a higher quality of life, allowing older people to preserve their independence by continuing to achieve fundamental daily activities, such as bath, drinking, dressing as well as eating (Duyff , 2002). Poor nutrition, alternatively, can lengthen recovery from illnesses, amplify the costs and frequency of institutionalization, and direct to a poorer quality of life. As people grow older, people lose lean body mass. Reduced muscle mass comprises of skeletal muscle, smooth muscle as well as muscle that affects imperative or function, with loss of cardiac muscle possibly the most important one. Cardiac capacity can be decreased and cardiac function impaired by chronic diseases for example athero-sclerosis, hypertension or else diabetes. Changes also take place in the kidneys, lungs and liver, and in our capability to produce new protein tissue. Additionally, aging can slow down the immune system's comeback in producing antibodies. Impairments in vision and hearing commonly accompany the aging process. The incidence of blindness in one or both eyes and of other vision problems, including cataracts, increases with age. Elderly individuals with visual decline report significantly more limited physical functioning, more limited social functioning, poorer morale, and higher depression scores than those with good vision. Being forced to curtail usual activities can affect many spheres of the older individual's life that are associated with independence and well-being. The relationship of hearing loss to frailty and restricted functioning is less conclusive than that of vision. Hearing deficits usually occur gradually, so that the older person is able to adapt to them. However, as the loss becomes severe, communication may become difficult or impossible, causing the elderly individual to retreat from social activities. Even hearing aids may not compensate for extreme hearing loss. Some findings suggest that the consequence can be withdrawal and isolation of the older person due to diminished interactions with relatives and friends. (Lindenberger, 1994) However, there are few effects of hearing loss on emotional or social integration in elderly individuals who are otherwise healthy and independent. On the other hand, the effects may be most severe on those who already have diminished functioning. The debilitating aspects of sensory losses highlight the complexity of factors contributing to frailty. Impaired sight or hearing can severely impede the ability of the elderly to function in the community, and these effects may be most pronounced in the absence of social supports. Mental Health And Frailty Physical impairments are not the only risk factors with regard to disability and frailty in the elderly. Attention must also be paid to the impact of mental health problems, particularly depression, on the functioning of older adults. Depression affects 15 to 22 percent of the elderly community (Hanson Lemme, Barbara 1999) The apathy, indecisiveness, withdrawal, and sense of helplessness associated with depression are conducive to frailty, as these symptoms affect the older individual's motivation and capacity for self-care. A survey of physical functioning in over 11,000 patients found that depression strongly affected the ability of the older patient to carry out the activities of daily living (Baltes P. B., Dittmann-Kohli F., & Kliegl R. 1986). The disabling effects of depression on bathing, climbing stairs, dressing, socializing, walking, and working were comparable to those of serious heart condition and greater than those of most of the chronic conditions of angina, arthritis, back problems, coronary artery disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, hypertension, and lung problems. Nutrition Programs A basic need of the frail elderly, as indeed is true for all age groups, is an adequate diet which meets nutritional requirements. The original goals of various reformatory and facilitative programs are to improve the health of the elderly and to increase social interaction. At the same time, the programs were intended to foster independence through counseling and referrals to other social services. Thus, from the beginning the programs sought to serve the more frail in the community. (Meydani, S.N., Wekslev, 2005) Nutrition sites exist in virtually every community of the country and remain one of the most utilized programs. Moreover, as the elderly population has aged, the participants in these programs have similarly become older and more impaired. Descriptions of participants depict them as being poor, with considerable disability, isolated, and with an average age of 72 years (Baltes P. & Lindenberger 1997) In many areas of the country, nutrition sites provide information and referral, transportation, outreach, recreation, counseling, and education in additional to a meal. They may also have extended hours, thus becoming more like day-care programs. The expanded services in some centers enable them to meet many of the pressing needs of the frail participants. Nutrition programs have the potential of serving many of the frail elderly in the community. Unfortunately, they remain hampered by restricted funding and resources. Usually sites do not permit special diets, offer more than one meal a day, or offer meals seven days a week. Aging results in deterioration of variety of aspects as far as memory performance in normal adults is concerned. Even though age differences in remembrance are viewed in varied experimental circumstances, the consequence of aging is not indistinguishable in all characteristics of memory. Adult day-care concentrates on serving the functionally impaired by offering a comprehensive program of health, social, and special support services in a protective setting. Day-care can therefore play a significant role in the lives of the frail elderly as it offers support and social interaction while providing caregivers with respite assistance. Age-related declines in memory do occur and are of real concern to many older people. Yet one of the most striking aspects of the experimental literature is that age-related memory changes are extremely variable. It appears that some aspects of memory are well maintained as we age, while others are more vulnerable to the effects of aging.  Undoubtedly, aging causes deterioration of various aspects of memory performance in normal adults. Nonetheless, different models suggest that high levels of cognitive performance can be maintained even late in life through various techniques that maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses, and consequently it is possible to achieve successful aging. Poverty is associated with poorer nutrition, poorer health care, less preventive measures, and more deteriorated housing. The elderly poor also have higher rates of arthritis, hypertension, hearing problems, vision problems, diabetes, more functional limitations, and poorer perceived health status than those with higher incomes. Moreover, impairments associated with frailty tend to occur at an earlier age among minority populations. Gastrointestinal System It is normal for taste buds that perceive sweetness and saltiness to diminish with aging. Tooth enamel thins, saliva production decreases, and incidences of periodontal disease increase as part of normal aging. In addition, esophageal peristalsis slows and sphincters in the digestive system are less effective, causing a delay of the entry of food into the stomach, increasing the likelihood of heartburn. Gastric emptying slows, causing food to remain in the stomach longer, compounded by peristalsis in the large intestine, subsequently incidence of constipation increase with aging. Liver size decreases naturally with age, resulting in the decreased production of liver enzymes, causing a slowing of the metabolism and making it more difficult to detoxify the body. Aging also effects efficient functioning of the gallbladder, increasing the potential for gallstones. Detoxifying the body also occurs by way of the urinary tract. Changes occur within the urinary tract; increasing the risk of infection due to lower levels of prostatic fluid. Aging affects changes in vision; the most commonly the lens of the eye loses elasticity, causing difficulty focusing on close objects. This is a condition called presbyopia, which literally means "old eye", which is easily corrected with eyeglasses. Other common age related changes in eyesight are loss of peripheral vision, decreased ability to judge depth, and decreased clarity of colors, such as pastels and blues. Nutritional Needs And Sensory Capacity Of The Elderly Hearing and equilibrium are the functions of the ear. Essentially, the inner ear consists of semicircular canals and the cochlea. The canals contain fluid that transmits sound and contain receptors for equilibrium. The cochlea contains the receptors for hearing (Cohen & Taylor, 2005). Extended exposure to loud noises can damage the receptors in the ear. There is a slight loss of hearing acuity and a decreasing ability to distinguish sounds when there is background noise because of the aging process. As one of the first systems to develop within the embryo, the nervous system undergoes changes beginning with maturity. The brain decreases in size and weight due to cell loss. Processing information slows due to the decrease of synapse and neurotransmitters. The loss of nerve cells in the brain and nervous system cause slower reactions, however memory loss is not part of the normal aging process (Carter, 2006). This progressive loss of brain cells however does affect mental function, increasing forgetfulness and confusion. Several age related changes occur in the cardiovascular system. First, the heart muscle requires more time to relax between contractions. Second, the wall of the aorta is less flexible, creating more resistance during the contraction of the left ventricle. Third, the heart muscle is less responsive the stimulation of the pacemaker cells. Fourth, the amounts of elastin, cologne, and fat in the walls of the heart increase while the amount of muscle decreases (Schaie & Willis, 2002). The alveoli in the lungs thicken, causing less effective oxygen exchange. Subsequently, reduced oxygenation of the blood occurs. Absent disease, there is a gradual change in the efficiency of the respiratory system due to aging combined with accumulated damage to the lungs from air pollution, respiratory infections, and smoking. The most important result of the loss of lean body mass might be the decline in basal energy metabolism. Metabolic rate reduces with the decline in full protein tissue. To keep away from gaining weight, people must reduce calories ingestion or else augment activity (Nissen, 2006). The objective is energy balance. Loss of lean body mass also means a decline in the total body water present in the body-- 72% of entire body water is in lean muscle tissue. Total body fat characteristically increases with age. (Metress, S. and C. Kart. 2000) This frequently can be explained by too many calories. As people grow older, fat tends to concentrate in the trunk and as fat dumps around the vital. On the other hand, in more advanced years, weight often reduces. Lastly, people lose bone density. Following menopause, women have a propensity to lose bone mass at an accelerated tempo. Current attention has focused on the high occurrence of osteoporoses. Severe osteoporoses is debilitating as well as serious. Fractures and their linked illness and more lethality are definitely a concern. Also, vertebral compression fractures can alter chest configuration. This, in return, can affect breathing, intestinal distension as well as internal or dislocation. Nutrition can be a reality or else in all of the changes noted above. Nonetheless, the slowing of the normal or else action of the digestive tract plus common changes have the most straight effect on nutrition. Digestive secretions reduce markedly, even though enzymes remain sufficient. Sufficient dietary fiber, as contrasting to increased use of laxatives, will preserve regular bowel function and not hinder with the digestion and absorption of nutrients, as occurs with laxative use or else abuse. Loss of smell as well as taste affects the nutritional ingestion and position. If food does not smell or else taste delicious, it will not be eaten. (Vandenberghe, 2006) Protein needs frequently do not change for the old, even though research studies are not ultimate. Protein necessities can vary due to the reason that chronic disease. Balancing needs and limitations is a challenge, mainly in health care facilities. Protein absorption might reduce as people grow older, and our bodies might make less protein. Nonetheless, this does not mean protein ingestion should be regularly increased, due to the reason that the universal decline in kidney purpose. Surplus protein could needlessly stress kidneys. Reducing the general fat content in the diet is rational. It is the easiest technique to cut Calories. This is suitable to reduce weight. Lower fat ingestion is often essential due to the reason that chronic disease. About 60% of Calories should derive from carbohydrates, with stress on complex carbohydrates. Glucose tolerance might reduce with advancing years. Complex carbohydrates put less pressure on the circulating blood glucose as opposed to refined carbohydrates. Such a command also improves dietary fiber ingestion. Sufficient fiber, together with sufficient fluid, helps maintain normal bowel purpose. Fiber also is considered to reduce risk of intestinal inflammation. Vegetables, fruits, seeds, grain products, cereals, legumes as well as nuts are all links of dietary fiber. Dietary Deficiencies In Elderly And How To Manage These Vitamin deficiencies might not be noticeable in many older people. Nonetheless, any illness strains the body and might be sufficient to use up whatever stores there are and make the being vitamin deficient. Medications also get in the way with many vitamins. When drug histories are looked at, nutrient deficiencies come forward. Eating nutrient-dense foodstuff becomes more and more important when Calories needs reduce but vitamin and mineral needs continue being high. The body can store fat-soluble vitamins and regularly the aged are at a lesser risk of fat-soluble vitamin insufficiencies. (Anderson, 2005) Always present vitamin D-fortified milk for the housebound, nursing home residents, and any person who does not get sufficient disclosure to sunlight. Iron and calcium ingestion from time to time appears to be low in many aged. To progress absorption of iron, include vitamin C-rich fruits as well as vegetables with these foodstuffs. For instance, have juice or else sliced fruit with cereal, a baked potato with roast beef, vegetables with fish, or else fruit with chicken. To increase your ingestion of calcium, have tomato slices in a cheese sandwich, or else salsa with a bean burrito. Vitamin E might have a latent role in the avoidance of Alzheimer's disease. Investigation has proved that eating foodstuff with vitamin E, like whole grains, peanuts, nuts, vegetable oils, and seeds, might help decrease the danger of Alzheimer's disease. (Arendt, 1998). Nonetheless, the same benefits did not hold factual for vitamin E from supplements. Decreased levels of vitamin B12 have been linked with memory loss and associated to age-related hearing loss in older people. Folate, which is linked to B12 metabolism in the body, might actually progress hearing. Nonetheless, if B12 levels are not sufficient, high folate levels might be a health concern. As people grow older, the amount of the chemical in the body, needed to absorb vitamin B12 reduces. To keep away from deficiency, older adults are advised to eat foodstuff rich in vitamin B12 frequently, including meat, poultry, fish, eggs as well as dairy foodstuff. Seek advice from your doctor else to see if a vitamin B12 supplement might also be essential. Drugs used to manage diseases such as hypertension or else heart disease can modify the requirement for electrolytes, sodium as well as potassium. Even supposing absorption and consumption of some vitamins and minerals becomes less effectual with age, higher intakes do not show to be essential. As for any age group, it's significant to enjoy a wide mixture of foodstuff. Also, if you are taking herbal or else dietary supplement, make sure to tell your physician else, since these supplements might act together with other drugs or else nutrients in your diet. In general, water as a nutrient receives a small amount of attention once a person is old enough to converse. Nonetheless, of all the nutrients, water is the most significant, serving many necessary functions. Sufficient water ingestion decreases stress on kidney function, which tends to reduce with age. Sufficient fluid ingestion also helps with constipation. With the aging procedure, the ability to detect thirst reduces, so do not wait to drink water until you are dehydrated. Drink abundance of water, juice, milk, and coffee or else tea to stay hydrated. Drink the correspondent to five to eight glasses everyday. It might be supportive to use a cup or else water bottle which has calibrated measurements on it, with the intention of keeping track of how much you drink. Carry it with you all through your home or else wherever you go during the day. Family members as well as friends can assist by making sure that older people take benefit of food programs by familiarizing them with the suitable agencies or organizations and assisting them while filling out the important forms. Some other steps they can take include are the following: looking in every now and then to make sure that the aged individuals is eating sufficiently making foods and dropped it off to the residence of older person joining the older person for dinner or lunch In some circumstances, they may assist by seeing that the older person is moved to a surrounding, such as their own residence, an assisted-living facility, or a nurturing place, that can make sure that the older person gets appropriate nutrition. Whatever an older person's living condition, appropriate medical and dental management is significant for treating medical troubles, such as gastrointestinal distress and chewing difficulties, which get in the way with good nutrition. If a medication seems to devastate an older person's taste as well as appetite, a switch to a different drug may help. An analysis of fundamental diet principles may assist to improve nutrition. Explaining to adults the significance of good nutrition in the later years may inspire them to make a better effort to choose nutritious foods. Conclusion Scientists looking into the advantages of work out for older individuals agree that daily exercise can amplify the functioning of the heart and lungs, increase strength and flexibility, as well as add to a feeling of well-being. Any daily physical activity is good for the health, from brisk walking to even light gardening. Common sense is the answer. However, before a vigorous work out program is started at such an age or resumed after a extended period of idleness, a general practitioner must be consulted. Taking time out for different work outs, using the food sticker to assist in picking nutritious foods, taking advantage of the more than a few assistance programs obtainable and getting needed medical awareness can go a long way toward helping older individuals avoid the nutritional pitfalls of aging and more fully take pleasure in their senior years. References Anderson, J. and K. Petre. (2005) Nutrition Which Promotes Health and Wellness. Mary Scott Lecture Series Proceedings. Arendt T., Bruckner M. K., Gertz H. J., & Marcova L. (1998). "Cortical distribution of neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease matches the pattern of neurons that retain their capacity of plastic remodelling in the adult brain". Neuroscience, 83,991-1002. Baltes P. B., & Lindenberger U. ( 1997). 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