P5, 5a, 5b – M3 Explain the physical and psychological changes which may be associated with ageing. Physical changes that you can see as you begin to get older are: You’re Organs: As you begin to get older your muscles within your digestive tract can start to become really weak and would possibly start giving you the risk of having a lot of constipation. Also as you get older your heart is beginning to get less efficient and would not be able to pump the blood around your body like what it used to have done. Also the other things that could happen to your organs as you begin to get older are
1.3 Outline how other health and emotional conditions may affect the nutritional needs of an individual with dementia
Understand the nutritional needs that are unique to individuals with dementia 1.1 - Describe how cognitive functional and emotional changes associated with dementia can affect eating drinking and nutrition: Cognitive: if cognitive ability is impaired a patient could forget to eat, or think they aren’t being fed at all as well as forgetting
People who suffer from dementia may also be at risk of mal-nutrition. People with dementia rely on others to help them to organise their day to day life such as preparing their meals. People with dementia are at risk of mal-nutrition as they may not be physically able to provide themselves with a balanced diet, there may also be the issue that they are not able to remember whether they have eaten and therefore decide not to make themselves
national institutes for health, if you are seventy or older you may have nutritional needs for either high or low calories depending on gender or state of
Late stage Dementia and 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.
Changes due to the aging process also need to be addressed. Calcium reabsorption increases especially in women after the menopause, this decreases bone density. Lean tissue decreases as fat increases with age; there is also a decline in the percentage of body water meaning that body temperature is more difficult to control. Thirst decline and decreased renal function means that older people can become dehydrated (Copeman 1999). The function of the bowel reduces, meaning that the elderly are more susceptible to indigestion and constipation. The risk of constipation is also increased with Parkinson’s disease (Parkinson’s UK 2011). The final consideration is the deterioration of the sensory system. Taste, smell, vison, pain and touch all decline meaning that food may not be as appealing (Copeman 1999).
Interview with an Older Adult 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
A balanced diet is important to people with dementia because if they do not have a nutritional diet then it can worsen their condition. Weight loss, nutritional deficiencies and inadequate fluid intake can all have a negative effect on a person’s dementia. It is the care assistances job to make sure that the individuals get the correct diet they each need.
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.
Weight Loss Medical conditions can also cause a loss of weight, but you should be concerned if your loved one has a sudden loss of weight or if the weight loss is gradual and steady. This could indicate neglect at mealtime. If the nursing home is understaffed, your loved one may not be given the time needed to complete meals, especially if they need total assistance to eat and their meals take a long time. Weight loss could also be a sign of depression or fear over their treatment. Visit the nursing home at mealtimes to see if your parent is being fed and provided enough nutrition,
With the advances in medical care, better health practices, improved nutrition, and other factors help people live longer. As long as older adults are following the correct measures, they can help counter the effects of aging because this stage here most people retire, they need to stay active and keep eating healthy foods. By not living actively can lead to his or her body shutting down, and may also lead to an early death. Many programs are available that older adults can join to
Dementia and Nutrition Dementia is a progressive loss of brain function affecting memory, thinking, language, judgment, and behavior. When older adults cognitive function declines, many changes impact the way they eat. As they age, cognitive impairment affects older adults physical ability to eat independently and their ability to enjoy food or
Physiological changes and changes in nutritional requirements are not the only cause of elderly malnutrition. Illness and physical limitations often affect nutritional status, as 19.7% of people over age 65 have at least one disability and 28.8% reported a limitation caused by a chronic condition (9). For