Chapter 14 - Nutrition in the Elderly

Abstract

This chapter discusses dietary limitations associated with prevalent chronic diseases; medications affecting appetite and nutrient use in the body; and highlights topics related to diversity and aging. Adequate nutrition plays a vital role in health maintenance and disease prevention at every age and can highly benefit the lives of older adults. Nutrition status is fundamental to the quality of life in the aging person as it is closely associated with functionality and the ability to remain independent. Maintenance of a healthy body weight in the face of aging, with the prevention of both underweight and obesity, can reduce the symptoms of chronic health conditions and have a protective effect against mortality. However, physiological and social changes that naturally occur with aging may lead to reduced appetite and food intake, body weight changes, malnutrition, and a compromised immune system. Early identification of nutrition deficiencies and timely intervention can improve length and quality of life. In order to identify any nutritional risks in the elderly, nutrition assessment is crucial. The Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults is a useful guide to assess the well older person's diet and highlights age specific nutrition needs. Additionally, there are four commonly used tools to evaluate the nutrition status in the elderly that includes anthropometric, biomedical, clinical, dietary and economic data (ABCDEs), the Mini Nutritional Assessment, Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire (CNAQ) and Simplified CNAQ (SNAQ), and Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI).