1)
The factors affecting nutrition in the elderly are
:-
- Difficulty in swallowing : Elderly people have
difficulty in swallowing. This is due to the normal aging along
with shrinking of brain, diminishing nerve function, and a decline
in the muscles used for swallowing.
- Loss of appetite : Changes in digestive system,
hormones, and senses contributes to the decrease in appetite which
makes difficult for elderly people to get enough
nutrients.
- Dental health : Broken and missing teeth, oral hygiene,
mouth sores, etc causes difficulty in chewing foods for elderly
people.
- Impaired taste and smell sensation : Elderly people
have fewer taste buds and their sense of smell diminishes with age.
This causes reduction in appetite.
- Nutrient metabolism : Elderly people have difficulty in
absorbing some nutrients from foods and producing certain
nutrients.
- Depression : This can result in dehydration, physical
illnesses, and malnutrition in elderly people.
- Poverty : Low financial status makes it difficult for
many elderly people to afford nutrient rich foods.
- Disease : Diseases associated with aging such as
cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, renal disease,
etc can decrease appetite and affects the normal eating pattern in
elderly people.
2)
The nutrient which the elderly people have difficulty in
absorbing is vitamin B12, Iron, Calcium, Folic acid, Potassium,
Protein, etc.
3)
The nutritional status of any one elderly person in my
family based on Mini Nutritional Assessment :
Screening :
A) Has food intake declined over past 3 months due to
loss of appetite, digestive problems, chewing, or swallowing
difficulties?
Score : 1 ( moderate decrease in food intake
)
B) Weight loss during the last 3 months.
Score : 2 ( weight loss between 1 and 3 kg
)
C) Mobility.
Score : 2 ( goes out )
D) Has suffered psychological stress or acute disease in
the past 3 months.
Score : 2 ( No )
E) Neuropsychological problems.
Score : 2 ( No psychological problems )
F1) Body Mass Index (BMI)
Score : 2 ( BMI 21 to less than 23 )
Total Screening
Score : A+B+C+D+E+F1 = 11
This screening score points that the elderly person is
"at the risk of
malnutrition"
If there is problem regarding the result of nutritional
status of our loved ones, then we could help them to improve their
nutritional status by the following ways :
- By encouraging them to eat frequent, small, high
energy, nutritious diets.
- Identification and treatment of the causes of loss of
appetite and weight loss.
- By providing the medications that would increase the
absorption of the nutrients in their digestive
system.