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2 Nutrition and Aging

This document discusses nutrition and aging. It notes that nutritional requirements change with age, with calorie needs decreasing and emphasis on complex carbohydrates, vitamins D and anti-oxidants, while protein needs remain the same. It also outlines the components of a nutritional assessment for older adults, including medical history, physical exam, dietary history, weight evaluation, and lab tests. Common nutritional concerns in older adults mentioned include weight changes, low serum albumin, BMI outside the range of 22-27, unintended low cholesterol, difficulties with activities of daily living related to food preparation and transportation, depression, dementia, dysphagia, dehydration, skin breakdown, malnutrition, and protein depletion even in overweight individuals.

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Alyzza Zheena Leyva Aque
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67 views11 pages

2 Nutrition and Aging

This document discusses nutrition and aging. It notes that nutritional requirements change with age, with calorie needs decreasing and emphasis on complex carbohydrates, vitamins D and anti-oxidants, while protein needs remain the same. It also outlines the components of a nutritional assessment for older adults, including medical history, physical exam, dietary history, weight evaluation, and lab tests. Common nutritional concerns in older adults mentioned include weight changes, low serum albumin, BMI outside the range of 22-27, unintended low cholesterol, difficulties with activities of daily living related to food preparation and transportation, depression, dementia, dysphagia, dehydration, skin breakdown, malnutrition, and protein depletion even in overweight individuals.

Uploaded by

Alyzza Zheena Leyva Aque
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as ODP, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Nutrition and Aging

12/8/10 Geriatric Nursing


Click to edit Master subtitle style
Topics
 Nutrition and Aging
 Normal Aging and Nutrition
 Nutritional Requirements and Aging
 Nutritional Assessment
 Common Nutritional Concerns in the
Older Person

12/8/10
Nutrition

 is the provision, to cells and organisms,


of the materials necessary to support life

12/8/10
Normal Aging and Nutrition
 Geriatric nutrition applies nutrition
principles to delay effects of aging and
disease, to aid in the management of the
physical, psychological, and psychosocial
changes commonly associated with
growing old.

 The cornerstone of geriatric nutrition is


a well-balanced diet.
12/8/10
Nutritional Requirements
and Aging
 Calorie requirements decrease with age
 Protein needs of healthy older adults are
the same
 Increase intake of more complex
carbohydrates (bread, oats)
 Reduce amount to fat (saturated fats)
intake
 Increase Vitamin D intake
 Continue giving anti-oxidant12/8/10
vitamins
(Vit. E, Vit. C)
Nutritional Bull’s Eye

12/8/10
Nutritional Assessment
 A thorough medical history
 Physical Examination
 Dietary history
 Weight evaluation (BMI of 21 – 27 )
 Dehydration
 Physical Assessment (poor skin turgor, dark
urine, flused skin)
 Fluid and food intake
 Increase BUN, albumin, serum12/8/10
sodium,
Normal Lab Results
 Protein status: albumin 4 to 6 gm/dL;
 Anemia status: hemoglobin: 12 to 18
gm/dL; hematocrit 33% to 49% (can be
slightly lower in the elderly); MCV: 80 to
95 [.mu]m3; MCHC: 27 to 31 pg; B12:
100 to 1,300 pg/mL.
 Hydration: serum sodium: 135 to
147mEq/L; serum osmolality: 285 to
295 mOsm/kg; BUN 10 to 20 mg/dL (can
be slightly higher in elderly).
12/8/10
Common Nutritional
Concerns
 Weight gain or loss may signal
nutritional problems
 Serum Albumin: less than 3.5 g/dL is
associated with malnutrition and
increased morbidity and mortality
 BMI: above or below 22 – 27 suggests
over- and underweight
 Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III)
Cholesterol Guidelines: unintended
decrease of cholesterol to less than 150
12/8/10
mg/dl is a nutritional risk
 Activities of Daily Living/Instrumental of
Daily Living: assess ability to eat and
prepare food and to do shopping and
transportation necessary for good
nutrition
 Depression and Dementia
 Dysphagia – difficulty in swallowing (s/p
stroke, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s
disease, Multiple Sclerosis, loss of teeth,
poorly fitting dentures)
12/8/10
 Fluid Balance
 Dehydration

 Skin Integrity
 Skin Breakdown
 Malnutrition
 Protein-Calorie Malnutrition
A person appears ill-nourished
 Protein Malnutrition
 Overweight person may have depleted
12/8/10 protein

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