Nutritional Principles in Nursing

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10/26/23, 9:26 PM NEW

Maintaining appropriate nutrition levels is crucial for older adults as it promotes overall health and well-being. However, there are various dietary concerns and barriers that older adults may encounter, which can lead to inadequate nutrition. Reduced physical mobility can make grocery shopping and meal preparation challenging. Older adults live longer, which means ailing health status and increased immobility as they try to maintain their autonomy and self-sufficiency. Access to nutritious foods may be limited, leading to reliance on convenience or processed foods, which are often less healthy. Loneliness or living alone can contribute to poor dietary choices and meal skipping. Eating alone can also reduce the enjoyment of meals. Limited income may lead to difficulty affording nutritious foods, forcing older adults to make compromises on food quality.

Educate the older adult and their caregivers about meal planning and preparation. Encourage them to plan balanced meals and provide assistance or resources for grocery shopping. Meal planning can mitigate some of the limiting factors associated with decreased mobility. Connect the older adult with community resources such as Meals on Wheels or senior meal programs that provide adequate meals. Encourage older adults to increase their social circle if possible. Integrating peers can reduce loneliness and encourage physical and mental activity. Provide them with resources to community centers and assist with activity searches. These teachings and collaborative efforts from the client can improve nutritional health.

Angela Antonczak

10/24/23, 11:24 PM

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Nutrition is essential for the body so when older adults have dietary problems and barriers it is very difficult to maintain a healthy diet. The dietary concerns and barriers for an older adult to maintain appropriate nutrition levels are physical difficulties and medical conditions are two examples that are extremely difficult for older adults. Elderly people age and so does the immune system so when it weakens they get more prone to health issues. Obesity is a big problem for elderly people with diabetes type 2 because they are overweight. They might have to limit their sugar intake so they don’t have to take insulin shots. Another is osteoporosis when an older person has calcium deficiency or low calcium levels in their diet. My aunt had this disease and it hurt when she walked. She was told to take a calcium supplement, but she refused to take anything. Maintaining an healthy diet in general is extremely difficult for elderly people because they might be set in their own ways of eating which is a difficult thing like my family was. If older patients do not take consideration for their health and nutrition then they are at risk for many health related complications like heart disease from high fat content consumption. The two client teaching and nursing interventions for prevention of nutritional deficits as well as the consequences of inadequate nutrition and hydration are for nurses to teach the patient about their nutritional needs as far as a strict diet if they are suffering high blood pressure or eating way too much sugar. They should promote physical activity in their ADLs or some form of exercise to help maintain a healthy weight balance. The fluid intake should be limited if a person is suffering from pneumonia or edema which can result to more fluid intake especially if they are having renal failure. The kidneys are at risk because they can’t function normally and filter the blood properly and maintain normal urine. Staying hydrated is essential for the body but for some elderly they must reduce their fluids due to complications. When an older person has inadequate food they are can be at risk for malnutrition which is harmful for the body since an elderly can find it difficult to eat food properly or skip meals due to lack of appetite or no flavor in their meals. 

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