Elderly Nutrition

What is dementia? Dementia a neurologic condition characterized by the following cognitive defects; impaired memory, disturbed intellectual function, and inability to solve a problem (deWit O’Neill 2014). Dementia occurs in different stages in this paper we are going to be discussing late stage dementia, and the end stage. The effect that dementia has on a person’s nutritional status. Why is the dementia patient more at risk for malnutrition? Things we as health care providers can do to improve the person with dementias intake, and preventing malnutrition, and finally how nutrition effects the dementia patient during the final and end stages.

1.3 Outline how other health and emotional conditions may affect the nutritional needs of an individual with dementia

More people are living much longer lives than in years past. People are very surprised to be living much longer lives than they thought they would. Health care has played a large part in patient longevity. There are many normal changes that come along with aging, however, because people are living longer these normal changes can become chronic problems. Common aging problems that can make the older adult a vulnerable population are reviewed in Gerontological Nursing (Tabloski, 2014) and can include nutritional needs, medication management, sleep changes, oral or mouth care, renal problems and musculoskeletal concerns. According to A Profile of Older Americans: 2013 (http://www.hhs.gov), there are a large amount

Pain- The person could be in pain and find eating to diffcult or uncomfortable. Ask them if their mouth is sore or their could have a problem with their dentures or their teeth. Having regular check ups or if unable to go to the dentsit see if you can have a dentist call to their home. Its important that a person has oral hygiene and mouth checks.

Over 8.2 million seniors over the age 60 face the threat of food insecurity, up 78% from a decade ago affecting one in seven seniors. The rise in food insecurity is primarily seen among senior Americans with income less than $30,000 or one to two times the poverty level. Younger seniors between the ages 60-69 are becoming more likely to become food insecure than older adults, due to early retirements and not being able to rely on Social Security or Medicare until they reach 65. Elder malnourished patients experience 2 to 20 times more complications and 100% longer hospital stays. Good nutrition is vital to helping America’s 34 million seniors to stay healthy,

As a person ages, theirs body cannot perform the way it used to. This will cause many elderly people to loose their job or choose to go into retirement. Both of these options cause a loss in health care as well and a reduced or exterminated income. Here alone lies a reason that the elderly population is challenged. The elderly population also has a tendency to develop a chronic illness that can be life threatening if not treated or controlled properly. This means that need for health care treatments also increases. At least 40% of those over age 65 will have nutrition-related health problems requiring treatment or management (Gigante, 2012). It is important to realize that 10% of people over the age of 65 and will develop Alzheimer’s disease and 50% of those over the age of 85 will develop this disease (Gigante, 2012). More elderly African American men and women use government aid than white men and women. Therefore, this population will be vulnerable because of the lack of funding, proper health care and insurance.

In recent years, there has been research involving the causes and consequences of poor nutrition among the elderly. Researchers continually work to distinguish risk factors of inadequate nutrition; the factors of most concern are “poor appetite, functional limitations, limited income, and social isolation” (Lirette, Podovennikoff, Wismer, Tondu, Klatt, 2007). Individuals at highest risk are those who live at home with a lack of family support (Krondl, Coleman, Lau, 2008). The diets of many elderly people are often low in calories and lacking important nutrients. All of these factors can affect the health and quality of life in the older adult. Nutrition plays a significant role in the health of

Nutrition is essential for the whole being of the individual. The body needs nutrients to be healthy and fight off acute illnesses and infections. Mauk (2014) stated that “elderly clients may be at increased risk for poor nutrition due to the fact that they have multiple chronic illnesses… that can interfere with their

“Pain from dental caries, infection, poorly cared teeth affect appetite and chewing ability, impacts future nutritional status” (Edelman & Mandle, 2010).

Aging is inevitable, with age comes certain conditions, and diagnoses that affect healthy aging in Canadians. In Canada, and across the world, there are institutions that help care for people with these diagnoses. Nurses are one of the members of the health care team, and they help to try and reduce risks that can exist in aging Canadians. The purpose of this paper is to explore the risks of malnutrition in aging Canadians living in institutions who have vascular dementia.

The first article found was, “Socioeconomic Characteristics, Dietary and Lifestyle pattern, and Health and Weight Status of Older Adults in NHANES, A Comparison of Caucasians and African Americans”. The objectives of the study were to compare the socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health status of Caucasian (non-Hispanic whites) and African American (non-Hispanic blacks); to examine their food and nutrient intakes; and to compare their body weight status (Bowman, 2009). This study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The data collected included, dietary intakes, physical activity, economic and health status. The subjects that were chosen in this study included 1,398 Caucasian adults and 354 African American adults age 65 and older that had complete and reliable dietary intake data on day 1 on the survey. The dietary dada was collected using an interviewer- assisted, 24 hour recall method. The socioeconomic

Nutritional well-being plays an essential role in the overall health, independence, and quality of life of older persons as well as disabled persons. This nation has a responsibility to at risk populations such as the elderly. Today, there are close to 6 million seniors in the United States facing the threat of hunger. Some of these citizens were raised during the Great Depression, they went on to protect our independence in the Second World War and won the cold war. America's older citizens have been called the greatest generation by many. It is morally wrong that the citizens that built this country should suffer starvation in this land of plenty, which they helped to form. Our country

U.S., due to advances in medication and health care people are living longer than they did before. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the geriatric age group is defined as anyone over the age of 65 but this is not universal and depending on which country you live in it can be as young as 50 years of age which is the case in Africa (Definition of an older or elderly person, n.d.). It is extremely important for health care workers to encourage a healthy lifestyle in the elderly population and educate them on healthy personal choices because it can reduce frailty and ill-health in the older population which would lead to savings for the health care system and also personal savings for the patient, and also an improved quality of life. Exercise and proper nutritional choices are two very important lifestyle changes that a senior could make that would benefit their total health. Data shows that when patients are given a solid knowledge base about their disease or treatment, the outcome is much more positive (A Guide to Patient Teaching and Education in Nursing, 2012).

      At any age, nutrition is vital to maintaining health and enhancing quality of life.  However, achieving good nutrition can be especially difficult for the elderly, the fastest growing portion of America's population.  Many factors, including physiological changes, changes in nutritional needs, illness and physical limitations, food-medication interactions, depression and loneliness, and food insecurity are common causes of malnutrition in the elderly.  This paper will explore factors affecting elderly nutrition, provide suggestions for obtaining and maintaining good nutrition after age 65, and describe the services available to help the elderly meet their nutritional needs.

The prevalence of diabetes increases with age. Approximately 21% of older adults aged 60 years in the United States have diabetes. According to CDC, from 1980 through 2011, the rate of diagnosed diabetes increased 167% for people aged 0-44 years, 118% for those aged 45-64 years, 140% (9.1% to 21.8%) for those aged 65-74 years, and 125% (8.9% to 20.0%) for those aged 75 years and older. In general, throughout the time period, the rate of diagnosed diabetes increased among people of all age groups. In 2011, the prevalence of diabetes among people aged 65-74 (21.8%) was more than 13 times that of people younger than 45 years of age (1.6%).