Predicting Unintentional Weight Loss in Elderly Residents of Long-Term Care

Abstract

LEARNING OUTCOME: The study will determine the relationship between weight loss and gender, age, reasons for assessment, caloric intake,eating and mental functions, and nutritional approaches among the long-term care elderly. The study identified charts of geriatric residents over 60 years of age from a long-term care setting who were experiencing unintentional weight loss, and related these losses to possible causes using selected indicators from the Minimum Data Set (MDS)HCFA. Charts of 194 residents were reviewed; 48 residents who had marginal or significant weight losses and age (80 years) were used as the subjects for the study. A pre-designed questionnaire composed of demographic information and selected indicators hypothesized as predictors for weight loss was used. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were used to describe the variables. The chi-square (p≤ .05) was used to determine the relationship between the dependent variable, weight loss, with other indicators. Of the 11 criteria evaluated two were marginally significant: eating support (p=.08) and cognition (p=.07);one was statistically significant:dining location, in room dining (p=.03).The 3 criteria were closely associated with unintentional weight loss. This study identified indicators associated with weight loss for long-term care residents. Residents without cognition deviations, dining privately in the room without support seemed more likely to lose weight. Recent studies have found similar relationships between cognition, self-feeding defecits, and malnutrition. More study is needed to plan interventions to prevent and detect weight loss as cognition and functional status diminishes.