Running Head: THE ELDERLY AND NUTRITION The Elderly and Nutrition Ryan Cox Barton College NUR 335: Research Paper Mrs. Peele November 13, 2012 Introduction Health is very important to a person’s quality of life. People are focusing on their health more and more in these health conscious times currently in the United States. As people focus more on their health, they are paying more attention to their dietary needs. It’s important to note that as humans age degenerative diseases can occur because of a poor diet or lack of vitamins and minerals. The most common diseases affecting older people--cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer—are all related to dietary factors.
The same will apply to drinking. With older people who are prone to malnutrition and dehydration this can become more of a problem with Dementia putting their health at risk. Functional problems - affecting ability to carry out normal daily activities such as washing, dressing, and cooking meals Functional changes is losing the ability to remember how to eat or using utensils and drinking implements and instead might be better encouraged to pick up food buffet style or finger food. This might be as a way to overcome their loss of ability to function as they once did and rather than become distressed and confused they prefer to just pick up food. If this is preferred then to promote their dignity food presented for that function should be laid out.
Unit 366 Understand and meet the nutritional requirements of individuals with dementia Outcome 1 1 Describe how cognitive, functional and emotional changes associated with dementia can affect eating, drinking and nutrition. Cognitive(thought processing) problems- affecting people's memory, their ability to learn new things, their understanding and problem solving ability. Dementia is brought about by a section of the brain being effected by the cells dying. This will effect the memory and all that we have learnt from birth, how to talk, eat and function in a normal way becomes almost impossible. This means for the individual who has dementia, that the means and importance of food can be forgotten or that they just forget that they are hungry, or forget to eat what has been prepared.
CU1672 – UNDERSTAND AND MEET THE NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DEMENTIA 1.4 EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNISING AND MEETING AN INDIVIDUAL’S PERSONAL AND CULTURAL PREFERENCES FOR FOOD AND DRINK. The Dietary needs of an individual in our care will need to be assessed to ensure that we can provide for our clients dietary requirements. This might be as a result of a medical reason such as diabetes, medication they are prescribed, allergies against certain foods like nuts, they may have to have a gluten free diet, or the patient may be under or overweight and require a specialist diet. In recognising our client’s right to have a choice in the food they eat we should ensure our clients maintain as an individual, and we should promote a positive mental health to our clients.
Secondly, in this paragraph I will be talking about the physical needs and the intellectual needs for the elderly diet. I received some of my information from this website: www.cdc.gov . I learned that as an older adult, regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Doing physical activity can help prevent many of the health problems that seem to come with age. It can also help your muscles grow stronger so you can keep doing day to day activities without becoming dependent on others.
NRSG259: PROMOTING HEALTH IN EXTENDED CARE Assignment 2 Holistic nursing care is the cornerstone of the promotion of health, improving quality of life and ensuring optimal management of any illness an individual may experience. The case study client, Jock Nguyen, is a seventy-five year old man with advanced Congestive Cardiac Failure (CCF) living at home with some difficulties, including a diet he would not normally prefer and limited mobility. This paper aims to discuss methods in which the Registered Nurse can assess and assist Jock in the management of his nutrition and his mobility and optimize his quality of life. According to Jarvis (2012) age related changes to nutrition in the elderly include decline in dental health, saliva production, gastric motility, gastrointestinal absorption and altered gustatory and olfactory sensation. Risk factors of malnutrition for elderly living at home include poor self-perception of health, increasing age and depression (Johansson, Bachrach-Lindstrom, Carstensen, & Ek, 2008).
The same will apply to drinking. With older people who are prone to malnutrition and dehydration this can become more of a problem with Dementia putting their health at risk. Functional changes is loosing the ability to remember how to eat or using utensils and drinking implements and instead might be better encouraged to pick up food buffet style or finger food. This might be as a way to overcome their loss of ability to function as they once did and rather than become distressed and confused they prefer to just pick up food. If this is preferred then to promote their dignity food presented for that function should be laid out.
In his age, even changing his diet is big thing. With this in mind, nurses should find the correct approach to Mr.’s P care. Nurses should choose holistic approach for this patient’s care, which will include his wife and all the circumstances of their life. In this case, not only the physical condition should be treated, but psychological and cognitive as well. Treatment plan “Approximately 28%–58% of individuals with heart failure (HF) suffer from cognitive impairment, commonly identified as difficulty with concentration and/or memory” (Bauer, Johnson, & Pozehl, 2011 p. 577).
Essential nutrients include substantial quantities of macronutrients; carbohydrates, protein, fats and water, plus small quantities of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals (Rolfes, Pinna, Whitney, 2009). Cheraskins studies have shown that an optimal diet is essential to optimum health, however his finding have also shown that even with an
For thousands of American’s healthy eating habits is second nature. Many choose healthy foods to prevent disease, prevent obesity, and promote longevity. However, many Americans have formed poor eating habits early, and the rate of obesity, healthcare costs due to disease, and health complications continues to rise. Healthy eating provides a better quality life because healthy foods and nutrients have been proven to fight against disease and prevent obesity. The Obesity rate today among adults and adolescents versus 20 years ago is devastating.