Nutrition is one of the primary physiological human needs, and one must get food daily in order to function normally. That is especially crucial in the case of the elderly – this is when appetite disorders, chewing problems and monotonous eating can lead to malnutrition. Eating disorders in the elderly are a serious medical, psycho-social and economic problem and, above all, have devastating consequences for their health and life.
Several things can contribute to malnutrition in older people, including difficulty swallowing and poor dental health, such as missing teeth. In addition, causes of malnutrition in the elderly can include mobility problems, acute and chronic illnesses, and inadequate nutritional requirements such as inadequate protein intake. Another reason may be that almost 93% of malnourished people live at home, so their nutritional health is often not monitored (Keller et al., 2022). Loneliness, depression, inability to cook for oneself, problems accessing stores, and low income contribute to poor nutrition in this age group.
Because long-term care recipients often have chronic illnesses and complex care regimens, nutritional problems are common in these populations. People in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, have a higher risk of malnutrition due to cognitive problems, decreased motor skills, dysphagia, vision problems, and/or poor appetite (Keller et al., 2022). Various psychological states have a significant part in the desire and ability to consume food in old age and assimilate it. The most common eating problem, along with malnutrition, is poor digestion.
Thus, malnutrition in the elderly can be caused by various causes. Most often, it results from an improperly balanced diet and problems with appetite, due to which the elderly person is hungry. One of the main problems of modern health care is malnutrition in the elderly, associated with both natural aging processes and diseases of old age. The risk of malnutrition increases dramatically if an older person has a chronic illness, requires hospitalization, or is in a nursing home.
Reference
Keller, H. H., Syed, S., Dakkak, H., Wu, S. A., & Volkert, D. (2022). Reimagining nutrition care and mealtimes in long-term care. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 23(2). Web.