9 reasons for malnutrition in the elderly

Aging brings many changes affecting various aspects of our health and well-being.  We are living longer than ever before in the history of mankind but that also brings some challenges along with it.  One of them is the challenge of elderly people staying healthy and avoiding malnutrition. 

Malnutrition is defined as any condition caused by too much or not enough of either calories or nutrients.  When there are nutrient or calorie excesses or deficiencies that continue over a long period of time, this can have a negative impact on anyone’s overall health but particularly in the elderly.

Are elderly individuals more at risk of developing malnutrition and if so, why are they at a greater risk?

The answer is yes, the elderly are at a disadvantage being more likely to have an increase in succumbing to malnutrition and here are the reasons why:

1.  Disease

Anytime an elderly person has a disease, which could include type 2 diabetes, cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, these conditions can change the types and amounts of food they may accept to eat.  If they are limiting what foods they will eat or have significantly reduced their food intake, this can lead to malnutrition over time.

2.  Eating poorly

If an elderly person is eating fewer than 2 meals a day or is eliminating fruits, vegetables or dairy foods, this can result in deficiencies of various nutrients from calcium, potassium or vitamin C.

3.  Tooth loss or mouth pain

Dental health is a very important part of being able to eat properly.  Yet more than 20 percent of people 65 and older have untreated tooth decay, 60 percent have moderate to severe gum disease and 27 percent have no remaining teeth.  Anytime there is pain in the mouth, teeth missing or improperly fitted dentures, the ability to eat will be affected negatively.

4.  Economic hardship

Planning for your financial future has to begin decades before you reach retirement.  Unfortunately, saving for retirement is not a strength for Americans.  A survey found 56 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement.

Elderly who did not plan ahead may not have enough money to pay for food necessary to keep them healthy.  There are various food safety nets from Meals on Wheels to Senior Centers providing a meal at a nominal fee, but those meals may be the only food a senior who is struggling financially, may be eating for the day.

5.  Reduced social contact

The more often an elderly person eats alone, the more likely they are eating a poor diet.  It’s not easy cooking for only one person and they may be suffering from depression or lack of motivation to choose healthy foods.  Being around others sharing a meal stimulates the appetite and helps an elderly person to have a more positive outlook on life.

6.  Multiple medications

The more medications an elderly person is taking the more likely there is a chance of a drug/nutrient interaction.  On average, individuals 65-69 years old take nearly 14 prescriptions per year while individuals aged 80 to 84 take an average of 18 prescriptions per year.

Drug/nutrient interactions can keep the medication from working properly or it can decrease or increase the amount of a nutrient in your body.

7.  Involuntary weight loss or gain

Anytime an elderly person either loses or gains 10 pounds or more in less than 6 months, they should be evaluated by their physician.  Weight gain is most likely due to fluid retention whereas weight loss could be due to insufficient calorie intake or possibly a serious illness.

8.  Needs assistance with self-care

Once an elderly individual begins to need assistance with simple tasks such as needing help getting dressed, shopping, bathing, cooking, or feeding themselves, there is a good chance they are at risk of not eating properly which could lead to malnutrition.

9.  Elderly person

In this case, elderly is anyone 80 years of age or older and they are someone more likely to experience malnutrition.  Now, there are plenty of people over the age of 80 who are doing quite well, but on average, there are plenty who because of their age, may have several health issues they are dealing with in addition to becoming more frail and weak. 

Basically, the more of the above predictors of malnutrition an elderly person has, the more likely they are suffering from malnutrition.  Depending on each individual’s circumstance, a good start to helping an elderly person get the assistance they need for obtaining food for a healthy diet, look into food assistance programs geared specifically for senior citizens to find food and nutrition programs focusing on the needs of older Americans.