Nutritional Assessment: Geriatrics Flashcards
General principles of elderly nutrition
- reduced nutrient reserves
- reduced response to stress
Parameters to assess in elderly nutrtion
- history
- physical assessment
- swallowing problem
- chewing difficulty
What do you look at in the history of elderly in nutrition?
Weight loss (% over time) Insufficient energy intake
What do you look at during physical assessment in elderly and nutrition?
- loss of muscle mass
- loss of subcu fat
- edema (fluid status)
- diminished functional status (hand grip strength)
What can cause swallowing problem in elderly?
- age related changes in swallowing physiology
- age related diseases (stroke, dementia, parkinsons)
What can cause chewing difficulty in elderly?
- dental decline
- increased use of dentures
What is the most indicative parameter in malnutrition in elderly?
Weight loss
>10% in 1-3 months
Impact of weight loss in elderly
- greater significance
- less reserve capacity
- difficultly regaining weight
- loss of functional lability
Therapy for malnutrition in elderly
- oral
- tube feeding
- parenteral
1st step in Nutrition care decision process in elderly
At risk or not at risk
Nutrition care decision process in elderly if not at risk
Provide nutrient needs
Set goals
Monitor goals
Nutrition care decision process in elderly if at risk
Evaluate oral intake
Inadequate —> consider tube feeding —> set goals —> monitor
Adequate —> continue supplementation —> set goals —> monitor
Evaluating oral intake in elderly
- liberalize diet
- initiate oral supplementation
- diagnostic use of calorie count
Tube feeding benefits in elderly
- reverse anorexic cycle
- promote N balance
- stimulate appetite (may change TF administration to night)
Monitoring nutritional progress in elderly
- calorie count
- % of meals eaten
- weight change (account for fluid & scale)
- wound healing
- functional improvement
Do no harm in elderly
- low & slow: more gradual treatment, reduced ability to adapt
- longer repletion period (less reserves)
What parameters do you look at in well elderly nutrition?
- history
- physical assessment
History assessment in well elderly
- weight loss (% over time)
- insufficient energy intake
Physical assessment of well elderly
- loss of muscle mass
- loss of subcu fat
- edema
- diminished functional status
Guidelines in aging and optimal weight
- maximize function and QOL
- minimize disease risk
- identify unintentional weight loss
- attention to trends
Usual weight trend in aging
- peak weight at 75 yo
- gradual weight loss after 75 yo
Obesity in aging outcomes
- increase physical and cognitive disability
- increase risk of dependency and institutionalization
- increase health care costs, poor health outcomes mortality