Nutritional Needs For The Elderly

Good nutrition...higher quality of life.

One of the challenges of growing older is being able to maintain a healthy diet. There are many factors that can result in an elderly person, not receiving the nutrients they need. As we age there are certain physical and physiological changes that occur during the aging processes. The changes in skin texture, hair color, and body posture and shape are among the most obvious. Researchers are gaining a better understanding, of how these changes, can influence our nutritional requirements, and also how diet and nutrition may influence or modify these changing functions of aging.

The result of this research is highly encouraging. Experts state that seniors who receive the needed nutrients in their diets experience a much higher quality of life, and better health overall. In addition, it has been shown that proper nutrition, can even slow down the processes, that were once considered to be inevitably associated with aging.


Some of the physiologic differences that occur during aging and that influence requirements for nutrients are:

• Changes in body composition, that may then result in changes in requirements for calories

• Changes in the skin that may influence requirements for vitamin D

• Changes in the intestinal tract that may influence requirements for some vitamins

There are several steps that can be taken to help your senior gain the nutrients they needed. These are simple steps that can be put into place, that will help make sure your elderly loved one has a healthy diet.

• Consider revamping your senior’s social life-No one likes to eat alone, and much of what we do with food, revolves around other people. Having regular dinner dates with your senior, and providing them with opportunities to socialize around food, can be all it takes to reinvigorate a senior’s appetite. Many senior centers provide lunch and dinner opportunities, that allow seniors to dine together, providing healthy food and the chance to socialize at the same time. 

• Consider a meal delivery service-Many seniors do not like to, or even want to cook just for themselves. This often leads to a person having an inadequate diet. If your senior does not want to cook for one, or is homebound with limited mobility, you can check on the possibility of meal delivery service in their area. This way you can be sure that your senior has the chance of receiving well-balanced meals. An added bonus to this is that many meal delivery services are staffed by other seniors, which provides an added chance for social contact. Check your local social services or to have nutritional meal shipped to seniors or shut-ins http://www.http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/landing/moms-meals/ for more information.

• Consider supplements-Many elderly, (especially those dealing with health issues and who may be frail), become overwhelmed when confronted with plates of food. The good news is that there is a wide variety of supplements that can help your senior gain the nutrition they need. These supplements come in various forms including: shakes, juice, powders and thickeners and puddings. These forms make gaining the nutrition they need, easy to eat alone or easy to put into other foods. At Caregiverpartnership.com we offer a wide variety of supplements to choose from. In addition, if your elderly loved ones has diabetes, or other special health needs, their knowledgeable sales staff can help you determine which products would work best, for your senior’s needs.

• Consider asking for help-It can be overwhelming to determine what your senior needs nutritionally.  At Caregiverpartnership.com they offer a chance for caregivers to ask questions to ask questions of their Board Certified Physician Assistant and Mayo Clinic trained nutritionist. You can simply click on http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/ask-physician-assistant.aspx to take you to that page. 

About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visit http://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.