ThirdAge Insider: Beth McLeod

The Importance of Nutrition for Elders
Diane Barlow was facing the most difficult moment of her life. Her mother, Edna, 82, seemed unable to live by herself anymore. She was listless, had lost weight, and was having some memory problems. Yet Diane, with three young children at home, didn't have the room to take her mother in. Was a nursing home her only option?

"One of the trends--the misconceptions--is that the only choice available if you're not quite able to take care of yourself is a nursing home," says San Francisco geriatric care manager Sherry Johanson. "That doesn't always have to be the choice. By keeping healthy and active at home, our elders have a better chance of remaining independent. Sometimes it's just a matter of good hydration and nutrition, exercising, or getting medications adjusted."

A recent report by the U.S. Senate Committee on Education and Labor found that 85 percent of the older adult population has one or more chronic diseases that could be alleviated by proper nutrition. Additionally, nearly a quarter of Americans over 65 may be seriously malnourished, according to Deborah Clark of the Nutrition Screening Initiative in Washington, D.C.

Eating Well
Nutrition is a greater concern in older age because of the host of medical and dental conditions that can hamper eating. Ignorance of nutrition also contributes to many ailments, say health and aging experts. Poor health can lead to institutionalization as malnourished elders get sick more often and require more time to recuperate.

Johanson says that elders sometimes are not able to take care of themselves because of side effects of medication. That, in turn, has a domino effect. "If they aren't eating properly or not getting enough fluids, or if they forget to eat or drink, sometimes that can mimic symptoms of dementia, for example. With proper monitoring of nutrition, however, we are able to see them turn around." Next: Signs to Watch For >

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