Malnourishment: It happens more often than you realize

    Malnutrition in the elderly happens more often than most people think. One does not need to be starving to be malnourished, because more food does not always mean nourishing food. In non-institutional elderly populations (those who are aging in place at home or with family), malnourishment occurs anywhere from two to ten percent, and shockingly, in institutional situations, anywhere from 30 to 60 percent.    It is an important issue for everyone, because malnourished elderly are twice as likely to visit the doctor and three times more likely to be hospitalized than those who practice good nutrition habits. To the malnourished, even a simple infection can cause a deadly illness due to poor healing capabilities. Because they know this is a problem that affects seniors in our community, officials with Visiting Nurses of Aroostook hope to raise awareness of malnourishment and offer helpful information for eliminating this concern.
    How does one determine malnourishment? A simple nutritional screening can be done to quickly identify individuals who are nutritionally at-risk or malnourished. If the screening indicates a problem, the next step is for a medical professional to perform a nutrition assessment which positively identifies the signs of malnutrition.
    Calorie needs change due to more body fat, less lean muscle and less activity. The challenge for the elderly is to meet the same nutrient needs as when they were younger, yet consume fewer calories. For many older adults the trouble with eating well is not just about the right food choices. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration notes that, oftentimes, issues such as problems cooking, not being able to shop, lack of appetite and loneliness at mealtimes can contribute to becoming malnourished.
    Ensuring that a frail elderly person is eating enough nutritious foods and drinking enough fluids is a challenge. People with dementia literally begin to forget that they need to eat and drink, but there are many resources available to help. For more information about the nutritional needs of the elderly in our local community or an easy nutritional screening form, please visit the resource section at www.visitingnursesofaroostook.org.
     For more information about its home care and hospice services, please visit them at www.visitingnursesofaroostook.org or call 498-2578.