1. NUTRITION AND THE
ELDERLY
Samantha Kiehne

2. NURSING DIAGNOSIS
Imbalanced nutrition: Less than body requirements
related to decreased intake as evidenced by 25% of a
client’s food left uneaten

3. IMPORTANCE OF
BALANCED
NUTRITION
• Inadequate nutrition can lead to a
series of problems, the most
concerning of which is weight loss.
• An imbalance of nutrition can lead
to the development of certain
conditions such as coronary artery
disease and osteoporosis.
• Adequate nutrition can improve a
client’s quality of life and overall
health
• The elderly are more at risk for
malnutrition than younger
populations.

4. NUTRITION AND HEALTH
•Proper nutrition is important for the functioning of the whole body.
•Many times, it is difficult to determine which nutrients are the most
important for the elderly to have more of. There is a lot of debate
surrounding what things should be increased or decreased in an
elderly person’s diet.
•Inadequate calcium in an elderly resident can lead to an increased
risk of osteoporosis and a serious lack of calcium in the diet can even
lead to hypocalcemia, leading to muscle spasms.
•Increased levels of sodium can increase blood pressure and lead to an
increased risk of cardiac disease, fluid retention, and with prolonged
exposure increased sodium can lead to a heart attack, stroke, or
issues with organs related to increased blood pressure.

5. MALNUTRITION
• Up to 25% of elderly clients are at risk
for malnutrition or are currently
experiencing malnutrition.
• Inadequate nutrition leads to
unintentional weight loss, which can
cause other complications.
• 60%-80% of elderly long term care
residents require supplemental
nutrients prescribed by a physician or
dietician to maintain their health and
prevent malnutrition.
• 50%-70% of elderly long term care
residents leave 1/4th or more of their
food uneaten at every meal

6. CONSEQUENCES OF WEIGHT LOSS
•Unintentional weight loss can cause a number of problems for the
elderly patient, some of which include
• Pressure ulcer formation
• Infection
• Functional decline
• Cognitive decline
• Increased risk of death
•Weight loss is typically linked to malnutrition, which can
contribute to impaired skin integrity due to dehydration. The
nutritional status of a resident affects their system so
completely that a nutritionally complete diet considered to be
the foundation of good health.

7. TIPS TO GIVE CLIENTS
• When selecting food, choose whole grains
over processed grains.
• Lean protein like fish, or choose non-
meat protein sources
• Limit sodium intake to reduce the risk of
heart disease, stroke, and fluid retention
• Consult a physician or a dietician that can
help create a diet that is nutritionally
complete with or without the use of
supplements.

8. CLEARING THE PLATE
•Many elderly persons have trouble eating all of their food, as 50%-
70% of them leave approximately 25% of their food uneaten at every
meal. There are things that can help the elderly eat more to prevent
malnutrition and weight loss, Including:
• Use more seasoning- seasoning will make the food more palatable for the client,
so they are more likely to eat their entire meal.
• Allow the client to make their own meal choices- when the client is able to choose
their own meal and decide what they are hungry for, they are more likely to enjoy
their meal and eat more of their meal.
• Diet restrictions in long term care should be limited- Limiting salt, sugar, and fats
not only decreases quality of life, it also tends to make the diet unpalatable, so
the resident will not be able to enjoy the food, which will cause them to eat less.
• Variety may also help the residents find their meals more appealing, as the
resident will be less likely to tire of the food and lose their desire to eat it.

9. METABOLISM
• The metabolism will slow with
age, but it is not clear by how
much.
• Often times the elderly are in
need of high levels of certain
vitamins and minerals that are
not necessarily needed by the
younger population due to their
age or medical conditions.
• Nutritionists are not entirely
sure how much or what
nutrients are needed apart from
the normal guidelines for the
elderly.

10. DIFFICULTIES AFFECTING
NUTRITION
•Difficulties swallowing need to be addressed for the safety of the
resident. Typically, thickened liquids are used to prevent aspiration
•While thickened liquids are good for preventing aspiration related to
difficulty swallowing, they are not palatable for many people, and
speech therapy is a better alternative that should be attempted first,
before other interventions like thickened liquids are used.
•Memory impairments like alzheimer’s and dementia can affect a
resident’s nutrition by making it difficult for the resident to
remember when the last time he or she ate or drank anything was.
•Elderly persons have a diminished sense of hunger and thirst, making
it more difficult for them to determine when they should eat or drink
something.

11. REFERENCES
References
The Pioneer Network (2011, August). New dining practice standards [PDF]. Retrieved May 20,
2016, from https://www.pioneernetwork.net/Providers/DiningPracticeStandards/
World Health Organization (2016). Nutrition for older persons. Retrieved May 20, 2016, from
http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/ageing/en/index1.html
Carruba, G., Cocciadiferro, L., Di Cristina, A., Granata, O. M., Dolcemascolo, C., Campisi, I., & ...
Traina, A. (2016). Nutrition, aging and cancer: lessons from dietary intervention studies.
Immunity & Ageing, 131-9. doi:10.1186/s12979-016-0069-9
Offord, E., Karagounis, L., Vidal, K., Fielding, R., Meydani, S., & Penninger, J. (2013). Nutrition
and the biology of human ageing: Bone health & osteoporosis / sarcopenia / immune
deficiency. Journal Of Nutrition, Health & Aging, 17(8), 712-716 5p. doi:10.1007/s12603-013-
0374-3