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Dietary concern of older adult
Several dietary issues and challenges may influence older adults’ capacity to maintain adequate nutrition levels as they age. These issues may result in nutritional deficiencies, negatively affecting their health and well-being. Along with client education and nursing interventions for prevention, this paper examines some of these worries and obstacles.
Decreased appetite and taste changes: Age-related changes in taste and smell perception in older people may decrease appetite and food enjoyment. This may lead to insufficient nutritional intake (Tamura et al., 2020). Nursing treatments may involve carefully collaborating with the patient to determine their favorite foods and helping with meal preparation.
Physical limitations: Physical obstacles may prevent older persons from grocery shopping, cooking meals, or eating alone. Due to these restrictions, people may rely too much on convenience foods, which frequently have poor nutritional value. Client education may include informing the person about local resources for food delivery or help with grocery shopping. Teaching adaptive food preparation methods, such as using kitchen tools and utensils, can also benefit in overcoming physical constraints (Tamura et al., 2020). Coordinating with social services or home health organizations is one way that nurses can ensure that patients get the help they need to meet their nutritional needs.
Consequences of inadequate nutrition and hydration:
Inadequate
nutrition and hydration can lead to malnutrition and dehydration. Malnutrition
slows wound healing, weakens the immune system, and raises the risk of infections. Older adults
who are undernourished are also more likely to experience falls, break bones, and have weaker
