The 5 Key Causes for Older People To Develop Malnutrition
Malnutrition is a highly dangerous condition in the old, as it seriously reduces life expectancy. Similarly, once an older person loses weight due to malnutrition, that weight is usually not put back on ever again.
Since aged people tend to get sick more easily and are absorbing their nutrient elements rather poorly, they are at serious risk of malnutrition.
Common symptoms of malnutrition are:
- Weightloss
- Muscle wasting
- Skin bruising
- Dry skin
- Oedema
- Poor blood nutrient profile like iron deficiency, etc
In order to protect against malnutrition in the aged, there are 5 main causes to look out for:
1. Medical condition – Most elderly individuals have some sicknesses or their immune system is compromised. Their illnesses may cause reduced appetite or no wish to eat at all. Reduced intakes naturally cause further decay of the immune status making them even more susceptible to developing diseases. This may present a dangerous cycle causing malnutrition.
2. Depression – Dementia and Parkinson’s Disease are usually associated with mood swings and personality changes. On top of that, elderly people are oftentimes isolated, lonely, suffering discomfort, anxious and sick making their depression worse. Depression is associated with thoughts of death or no desire to live. Often depressed individuals also stop eating or have no wish for food, making them highly susceptible to malnutrition.
3. Dysphagia – Difficulty in swallowing is rather common among elderly individuals. This condition is associated with neurological disorders like stroke, Parkinson’s disease and dementia. Swallowing issues can result in aspiration or the misdirection of food, drinks, spit and gut content into the wind pipe leading to pneumonia (lung infection), dehydration and malnutrition.
4. Dry Mouth (Xerostomia)/taste disturbance – Reduced spit production is a common result of the ageing process. This condition is amplified by prescription medications commonly given to the old. Taste disturbances regularly go with dry mouth and that leads to reduced wish to eat as “food simply doesn’t taste good”.
5. Cognitive issues – Poor food recognition, not remembering to eat, food refusal or simply incapability to open food packages can be great barriers to adequate nutrition.
In conclusion, while there are plenty of different reasons for malnutrition in the elderly, these five are the key ones to look out for. If you know a senior who appears to have any of these conditions, please seek professional help.
Giselle Brand is an accredited practising dietician and director of Aged Care Nutrition Services. She provides expert services such as aged care menu review and nutrition and hydration accreditation for aged care facilities in Australia.
