Nutrition & Aging

This lecture was wonderful; it was very well presented and the information covered will be encountered frequently in many OT settings. The main takeaway points were: 

• Nutrition and exercise are key in recovery from an illness
• As we age our bodies undergo several physiological changes including cardiovascular changes, respiratory changes, urinary/renal changes, gastrointestinal changes, as well as skin and bone changes.
• Role of nutrition in aging is 1) to slow down the aging process 2) slow progression of chronic nutrition – related diseases; maintain functionality, quality of life, fitness, and mental health 3) medical nutrition therapy
• Loneliness and isolation, and food insecurity contribute to malnourishment
• Sarcopenia age related loss of muscle is called; age 30 is the peak of our muscle mass
• Malnutrition is defined as any nutrition imbalance and can be any 2 of the following:
  o   Insufficient energy intake
  o   Weight loss
  o   Edema
  o   Decreased functional status/diminished grip strength
  o   Loss of fat
  o   Loss of muscle mass
• Older adults, chronic diseases, hospitalized patients, and long-term care residents are at risk for malnutrition
• It takes a minimum of 6 months - 2 years to recover from malnourishment
• Nutrition supplements help decrease healthcare cost, decrease hospitalization time, decreases readmissions, and increase quality of life and independence.
• Telling patients that drinking the nutrients/taking the medications will get them home sooner increases their likelihood to cooperate

One example of intervention is education on resources for a client with food insecurity. Education is appropriate for 1:1 consultation with either client or caregiver - potential resources include Senior Food Boxes, Food Banks, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This is an appropriate intervention for IPR and Acute-Care settings.

Another example for an intervention is a group cooking class. This is an appropriate intervention for outpatient services where 2-5 individuals will be educated on the importance of nutrients for the aging body and provided with examples of healthy recipes. The group will then cook the recipes together as a group activity. This will promote wellness, as well as improve social participation.