Nutrition: Meeting the Needs of the Elderly
Nutritional needs change throughout life. For
the elderly, these changes may be related to
normal aging processes, medical conditions,
or lifestyles. Assessment of nutritional status
is essential for preventing or maintaining a
chronic disease and for healing. Knowing
the causes of changing nutritional needs and
dietary preferences is needed to understand a
patient’s nutritional status. In order to meet the
nutritional needs, consideration must be given
to more than just diet.
Age-Related Changes and Nutrition
As people age, multiple changes occur that
affect the nutritional status of an individual.
Sacropenia, or the loss of lean muscle mass,
can lead to a gain in body fat that may not be
apparent by measuring body weight. It may
be more noticeable by loss of strength, functional
decline, and poor endurance. This loss
also leads to reduced total body water content
(Tabloski, 2006). Another common loss related
to aging is changes in bone density, which can
increase the risk for osteoporosis.
Many changes occur throughout the
digestive system. A decrease in saliva production—
xerostomia—and changes in dentition
alter the ability to chew and may lead to
changes in food choices. There is a decrease
in gastric acid secretion that can limit the
absorption of iron and vitamin B12. Peristalsis
is slower and constipation may be an issue
because fluid intake is decreased. Appetite and
thirst dysregulation also occur, leading to early
satiety and a blunted thirst mechanism.
Sensory changes affect the appetite in several
ways. Vision loss makes shopping, preparing
food, and even eating more difficult. Diminished
taste and smell take away the appeal of many
foods and may lead to preparing or consuming
food that is no longer safe.
Many other factors that are not necessarily
part of the normal aging processes, but
are often related to aging, create changes in
appetite, what foods are chosen for meals,
and the overall nutrition of the individual.
Sedentary lifestyle, social isolation, loneliness,
or depression can lead to malnourishment.
Medications can also change how nutrients are