The Nutritional Status of the Elderly - Essay Example

"The Nutritional Status of the Elderly" is a great example of a paper on food and nutrition. The nutritional deficit in the elderly is very common and there can be a number of risk factors that cause malnutrition. Furman (2006) found in his research that 5-10% of elderly people residing in the community setting, 60% of hospitalized elderly persons, and 35-85% availing long-term care, are suffering from nutrition deficit. Risk factors may be physical, psychological, and social in nature. Physical factors include oral impairments, damaged taste buds, dental impairments leading to poor chewing and swallowing, and inability to actively move and feed oneself. Elderly people feel less hungry and feel full too rapidly as compared to younger people. Psychological factors include depression and anxiety which are more common in old age. Social factors include poverty, loneliness, other preferences due to low income, and social exclusion.

• Nurses can use nutritional screening tools to evaluate the nutritional status of elderly patients. However, Raja et al. (2008) found in their research on three Australian hospitals that nurses did not comply with the use of these screening tools. Families can play an important role in helping the elderly to bring them out of the psychological conditions that are decreasing their interest in food; supporting them in their physical disabilities; and, looking after them if they are alone. Those families who live at distance from their loved ones can financially support their elderly relatives so that they can afford good food, or can have qualified physicians hired for them who visit them regularly for their nutritional assessment. Communities need to provide assistance to such elderly people who are living alone and who need physical support. Retirement homes and old homes must be properly managed and nutritional assessment of the elderly must be carried out on a regular basis to make sure that they are getting a proper diet.

 

 

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