Emerging Crisis for Seniors: It's Probably Not What You Think

As November is National Caregiver Month, I wanted to shine a light on a topic that caregivers and their loved ones are facing at increasing rates, but that very few people are talking about in public - senior malnutrition.The sheer number of malnourished elderly adults is truly staggering. One in three patients who are admitted to the hospital are affected by this condition. Patients diagnosed with malnutrition have a length of stay three times longer than those who do not arrive in a state of malnutrition. Patients who are malnourished prior to undergoing surgery have a 4 times higher risk of developing a pressure ulcer during the healing process as well.What Causes Senior Malnutrition?The annual burden of disease-associated malnutrition in the US is currently an overwhelming $156 billion. My goal is to help draw attention to this under-recognized, and unfortunately underdiagnosed, problem, and to provide solutions on the best way to avoid the onset of malnutrition in you or your loved one. Malnutrition is diagnosed when certain changes in weight and functionality are present in an individual. There are a variety of causes of malnutrition, such as poor dentition, difficulty swallowing, decreased appetite, and lack of access to foods for adults on a lower income, which can result in reduced intake of foods and nutrients. Over time, this leads to fat loss and even more importantly, muscle loss due to poor nutrient intake of vitamins and minerals. All of these factors combined ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news