...Nutrition can be defined as the process of obtaining the food that is necessary for health and growth. Appropriate nutrition is one of the most important factors in a human's everyday lifestyle. Nutrition can be noted generally as having a consistent eating pattern, the correct amount of meals a day, as well as getting the recommended amount of energy and source of nourishment. However, healthy nutrition is often overlooked in certain age groups. When comparing college aged adults to older adults 25 and older there are many differences that come into effect. The amount of time, financial statuses, attitude, availability and how easy to obtain food lead to the many differences between the two groups. One study has shown that one of the most...
Words: 1755 - Pages: 8
...Definition Senior nutrition addresses the special dietary requirements of the elderly. Although wise food choices and a balanced diet are essential for older adults to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to promote longevity, there are various obstacles that prevent or limit seniors from practicing and benefiting from good eating habits. Such obstacles include loneliness, depression, economic concerns, lack of cooking skills or desire to cook, inadequate nutritional knowledge, reduced capacity to absorb and utilize nutrients, oral/dental problems and difficulty in chewing, loss of appetite, and eating/nutrient complications due to the use of various medications. In addition, older adults need certain vitamins and nutrients to aid in the maintenance of their health. Description Healthy eating and regular physical activity are necessary to maintain good health at any age. However, older persons, especially after the age of 50, often experience various obstacles that prevent them from following healthy diets. They experience reductions in metabolism (the rate at which the body burns energy) and changes in physiology that significantly affect their nutritional needs. The metabolic rate of an individual can decline as much as 30% over the lifetime, and lean muscle mass can decrease by as much as 25%, accompanied by an increase in body fat. These changes often require the use of lower calorie diets as well as changes in nutritional intake. Therefore, changes in habits, including...
Words: 3441 - Pages: 14
...Research paper. NUTRITION FOR THE ELDERLY: Nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs. Good nutrition is essential for survival, physical growth, performance, health and well-being across the entire life-span. A good nutrition adequate well balanced diet combined with regular physical activity is a cornerstone of good health. While poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity. Many elderly people have unique barriers that prevent them from eating a healthy diet and engaging in regular physical activity. Difficulty chewing, a sensitive stomach, reduced appetite, and dietary restrictions are just a few of the barriers to healthy eating that the elderly experience. It is important to encourage the older adults to eat healthfully. NUTRITIONAL NEED FOR OLDER PERSON: Older persons are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. Moreover, attempts to provide them with adequate nutrition encounter many practical problems. First, their nutritional requirements are not well defined. Since both lean body mass and basal metabolic rate decline with age, an older person’s energy requirement per kilogram of body weight is also reduced. FOODS THAT ARE GOOD FOR THE ELDERLY: when choosing food for the elderly, it is important...
Words: 920 - Pages: 4
...Nutrition Knowledge and food consumption Submitted to: Robert Kotoviets EAC 150 FD Submitted By: Saima Masood Chowdhury ID: 059-101-105 Due date: 27 July, 2011. Nutrition has a significant role in human life. It affects our energy level, well-being and overall health in major way depending on what type of food we choose. To live a healthy life everyone should have basic nutrition knowledge, which is really important. To have nutrition knowledge may not be able to change the food behaviour all of a sudden but it will be helpful to change the food behaviour slowly. Everyone should have basic nutrition knowledge because it is necessary to change food consumption behaviour, it helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent diseases. It is really necessary to have nutrition knowledge from early age. Each day’s choices may harm people only a little but this choices continue over years and decades that’s really harmful. Nutrition knowledge is necessary to change food behaviour. If people don’t have basic knowledge about nutrition then they will not even know that what they eat every day and what they should eat. To only have knowledge about nutrition can’t change the food intake totally. People should also have that desire to follow healthy lifestyles. People who have basic knowledge, at least they will think that what typed of food they are eating every day. Suddenly they will not change their food consumption style but may be in one stage...
Words: 1618 - Pages: 7
...optimal diet. As individuals age, their need for calories declines, but their need for proper nutrients does not. Therefore, older aged people must corporate more nutrient dense foods into their diet and eat less of the foods full of calories. Elderly sometimes lose their appetites and don’t eat correctly. Various reasons can lead to a loss of appetite in an older person. They may not feel the necessity to eat due to lack of exercise or lack of energy expenditure. They may feel depressed or loneliness, due to a loss of a spouse. There may also be a more physical reason to their decline in appetite such as painful teeth or trouble chewing or swallowing. Some elderly can experience a diminished sense of taste or smell which could also result in a loss of appetite because food becomes less appealing. The elderly are typically on a fixed income and this may result in them feeling insecure and unable to purchase the more appealing foods or foods that would ensure them the proper nutrients. Some elderly are more accustomed to eating the same types, as well as quality and quantity, of foods that they have always eaten throughout their lives. They may not have the necessary knowledge, resources or simply realize that as their aged their bodies require different amounts of nutrients as they did when they were considerably younger. The medications that an older person is taking may also have a negative impact on their appetite. Whatever the reason, a loss of appetite is a contributing...
Words: 1636 - Pages: 7
...Legislation On The Elderly In The United States Final Paper The Older American Act of 1965 was signed into law on July 14, 1965. This act established the Administration on Aging within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and called for the creation of State Units on Aging. This act was considered one of the most important contributions on aging legislation enacted by congress. This report is a review of legislation regarding Older American Act. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction on the history of Legislation on the Elderly ……………………………………2 Background Early Acts Enacted to meet the needs of the Elderly……………………………2 Early Acts Enacted leading up to OAA of 1965 …………………………………………..3 Review of Older American Act…….. ………………………………………………………4 Older American Title Review…………..…………………………………………………….5 Amendments………………………………………………………………………………….9 Strength and Weakness of Older American Act……………………………………………..14 Recommendation…………………………………………………………………………….15 Conclusion … ………………………………………………………………………………16 References……………………………………………………………………………………17 Introduction The new deal program of the 1930’s was enacted by congress to address economic issues during the Great Depression. The Social Security Act of 1935 was a response to criticism for the lack of aid to retired workers age 65 and older and who no longer worked (justfacts.com). This law created "a system of Federal old-age benefits" (justfacts.com). The new act provided pensions...
Words: 4268 - Pages: 18
...it will enable you to understand and offer suitable foods to ensure your nutritional needs are met. Macronutrients are the nutrients that provide calories and energy in a diet, nutrients are needed for growth, metabolism and for other body functions. As “macro” means large, macronutrients are the nutrients needed in large amounts, There are three different types of macronutrients; carbohydrates which is made up of a large group of organic compounds occurring in foods and living tissues, these are included in starch, sugars and cellulose. Protein is the digestion to amino acids and has relationships with muscle mass; protein also affects the activity and metabolic rates. Lipids are the third main class of macronutrients needed in human nutrition. Lipids are found primarily in meats, and dairy foods. They are a class of organic compounds that are fatty acids. Micronutrients are different from macronutrients (like carbohydrates, proteins and fat) they are only necessary in tiny amounts. Nevertheless micronutrients are essential for good health, if you have a micronutrient deficiencies it can cause serious health problems. Micronutrient includes a lot of dietary minerals such as zinc and iodine these are necessary for the healthy functioning of your body’s system, from bone growth to brain function. Micronutrients are commonly known as “vitamins” the vitamins they hold are vitamin A, C, D, and K. Making sure that you eat these vitamins in a healthy balanced diet is really important...
Words: 1848 - Pages: 8
...Introduction Significant improvements in life expectancy mean that the number of older adults is increasing rapidly. The number of people aged over 65 years has more than doubled since the 1930s and 20% of the population is now over the age of 60. The number of people over the age of 80 is expected to increase by almost 50% between 1995 and 2025; the numbers of people over 90 years will double (DH 2001a). As older people are disproportionately large users of health care, this is significant public health issue, as the cost of their care will increase (DH 2001a). Nutrition is one factor that may affect the health of older adults. Older people are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition which as both the cause and effect of illness, impairs functionality ability and quality of life (Zuliani et al 2001, Gary and Fleury 2002) and affects physical and cognitive capacity (Fillit et al 2002). The associated weakness and fatigue may cause prolonged inactivity and further complications; affected individuals required 31% more GP appointments and 52% more inpatient admissions than the well-nourished (Malnutrition Advisory Group 2001). The total cot of under nutrition far exceeds that of obesity, reaching £7.3 billion per year with more than 50%n of this spent on those over 65 years (Elia et al 2005). References 1. Department of Health (2001a) National Service Framework for Older people. The stationary Office, London. 2. Fillit HM, Butler RN, O’Connell AW et al...
Words: 332 - Pages: 2
...populations that may be in need of each. Indicate whether this type of service or program is available in your community and provide examples, if possible, of each. |Program or service |Description |Population(s) it serves |Local community examples (if | | | | |available) | |The Nutrition Program (NPE) |This program helps ensure older |Older adults. The only |It is available in my community | | |adults receive proper nutrition |qualification is that the |through Meals On Wheels and the | | |by serving them already prepared|individual must be at least 60 |local senior center. | | |meals. Administered by DHHS. |years old. | | | |A program that offers care to |Designed for older adults who |There is a couple of facilities | |Adult Daycare Centers |adults during the day while |can no longer take care of |in my community that offer this | | |their loved ones tend to other |themselves. |service, Brisa Del Mar and ABC | | |things like work, school, or | |Alsy. ...
Words: 399 - Pages: 2
...aging population does not seem like anything other than people just receiving older. Referred to as the Baby Boomers this demographic of people are those ages 65 and older. People may think the demographics of our population have no affect on health care or our economy. This paper will include the information that proves our countries demographics do impact health care and the economy. For example, information was gathered about the target area, the aging population, and the general impact that demographic group has on the health care market. This information will also include how the aging population will increase the nation’s health care costs and prescription drug costs. This paper will include information about how a chronic disease wellness program may affect the cost for the aging population and how these issues can be addressed. Statistics Because of this proposed “baby boom” generation rapidly increasing, there has been an increased health care cost. The health care cost per person for people over age 65 is three to five times greater than that of people under the age of 65 (United states census bureau, 2003). This increased cost along with other factors such as long-term care and advancements in technology could increase health care cost even higher. More than 50 million of these Baby Boomers are sparking a demand for products but a certain type of environment to meet their needs. As the Baby Boomers grow older, they require accommodations to meet their changing...
Words: 1958 - Pages: 8
...Malnutrition among the Elderly Introduction According to research published in the May issue of the Annals of Epidemiology, in a nation where people die from complications of too much food, some die from having too little (Lee & Berthelot, 2010). Although malnutrition is often thought of as a killer in the developing world, it's also a problem for the elderly in the United States. In this paper, I will discuss multiple concepts related to malnutrition among the elderly, and how this topic relates to epidemiology. First, I will define and describe malnutrition among the elderly. Second, I will explore the steps and methods of epidemiology related to my chosen topic of malnutrition among the elderly. Third, I will converse about the epidemiological triangle, and the type of epidemiology used for my chosen topic. Fourth, I will discuss how the characteristics of the elderly population influence vulnerability. Fifth, I will define how cultural considerations may impact health status, and any ethical or legal considerations. Last, I will explain the relationship of the malnutrition to various levels of prevention. Researchers from Louisiana State University examined data from 3,141 counties and older adult malnutrition mortality using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. According to CDC data, between 2,000 and 3,000 older adults die from malnutrition each year (Lee & Berthelot, 2010). Trevor Rowe once said, “Unless the United States renews its commitment to...
Words: 2067 - Pages: 9
...A written assignment that evaluates comprehensive approaches to nursing assessment for an older person with multiple health problems. The account should reflect on how the multidisciplinary team and other agencies including the family, may contribute to these assessment approaches. Particular attention should be paid to national policies in this area and evidence of best practice. The patient that will be discussed within this assignment is a 70 year old male admitted to hospital following a stroke. Pressure ulcer risk assessments and nutritional risk assessments will be discussed within this assignment looking at how they are used in the assessment of an older people with multiple health problems. A stroke occurs when there has been a disturbance or cut off of blood flow within the brain, this disturbance damages or destroys brain cells preventing these cells from doing their job. Damage to the brain causes problems with bodily functions and can also affect mental processes (Stroke Association, 2010). A stroke can cause sudden weakness or paralysis which often only affects one side of the body and is one of the most common symptoms of a stroke. It can also cause swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), speech and language (dysphasia) can be affected also, patient may have difficulty in understanding and basic things such as reading and writing following stroke. Problems with eyesight, perception and interpretation, mental processes, bladder and bowels, mood swings, sensation and...
Words: 4850 - Pages: 20
...Personalized Nutrition and Exercise Plan Nutrition and exercise is very important because they provide the body with all that it needs to be healthy. Creating an Exercise and Nutrition plan will help the author attain her weight loss goals. Insert name (referred to as the author throughout this paper), is currently at least 5 lbs overweight. She is 5 ft. 7 inches female weighing 165 pounds, which is a healthy weight range for the height. However, the author’s body mass index (BMI) is 25.4, which shows that the author is slightly overweight. According to Weight and Waist Measurement: Tools for Adults (2004), a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy. A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a person with a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. Therefore, the author must make provisions to encourage healthy eating, weight loss, and proper weight management. Identification of the Health/Nutrition Problem Losing weight is a trying goal to attain mentally and physically. The author wants to lose weight to be healthier and to have a better self-image. Therefore, the main health problem that will be targeted is weight loss, but placing emphasis on the author’s nutritional habits is also important. She does not consume nutrient dense foods that provide her with the nutrition she needs to change her goals. Another focus of the exercise and nutrition plan is to incorporate healthy eating as a lifestyle choice, rather than a means to losing weight. Four...
Words: 1557 - Pages: 7
..._assignment Andeans Quechua language and Nutrition education to aging in Peru Historically, from the time when Spain citizens arrived in Peru and change the Inca Empire, the Quechua speaking, suffering marginalization in Peruvian society (Sarali, 2005, p.47). This article explain clearly about this language and all happened since five centuries. Quechua is the theme in this assignment and how continues speaking and where place still talk in their daily life. And another article research “Socio-demographic, behavioral, functional and anthropometric data for groups of elderly Quechua Indians of Peru were used to investigate the effects of gender and lifestyle patterns on nutritional status” (Fortunato & Drusini, 2005, P. 141). Fortunato...
Words: 1550 - Pages: 7
...The aim and objective of this assignment are to critique and analyse the older person with dementia. The author will explore the pathophysiological process of ageing underpinning skeletal and cognitive decline, with an emphasis on discrimination and a focus on ageism, mental illness and the support of the National Service Framework (NSF) in combating this pandemic. A further investigation into the nurse’s role will be analysed along with the process of assessing and caring for an elderly patient with dementia. Aveyard (2001) and Adams et al (1999) both state that it is increasingly difficult to find an acceptable working definition for dementia. However, Mosby’s Dictionary (2002) defines dementia as a progressive organic mental disorder characterized by chronic personality disintegration, confusion, disorientation, and stupor, deterioration of intellectual capacity and function, and impairment of control of memory, judgement and impulses. Dementia is encompassed by multiple cognitive deficits; the author will now explore the pathophysiological aspect of the brain encompassed by the ageing process and its influence on the older person. The author is aware that there are many contributory factors for cognitive decline for example genetic factors, where there is a family history of, infection, chemical and chromosome damage. It should also be noted that there are many forms of brain disorders that share the same characteristics as dementia, for example Parkinson’s and Huntington’s...
Words: 3721 - Pages: 15
