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Nutrition and Aging: Meeting the Unique Needs of Older Adults

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Nutrition Guide for Physicians and Related Healthcare Professions

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Abstract

Optimal nutrition is an essential element for the quality of life and health in older adults. Energy needs and thus food intake decrease with age, while requirements for other nutrients remain stable or increase. Thus, older adults are at greater risk for undernutrition than their younger counterparts. Physiological, psychological, and environmental factors faced by many older adults amplify this risk. At the pinnacle of risk are older adults who are hospitalized, undergoing surgery, or living in long-term care facilities, with cognitive decline and dementia further complicating both diagnosis and treatment of malnutrition. The COVID-19 pandemic is creating a unique further health risk in this population, who experiences the highest rates of infection and likelihood of disease complications. While the majority of older adults have not contracted COVID-19, the strict social isolation they are experiencing is reducing diet quality and worsening health outcomes. Whether in the community, hospital, or long-term care facility, nutritional care for older adults needs interprofessional collaboration to assure that their basic nutritional requirements are met, utilizing interventions that account for their underlying physiological, psychological, and environmental risk factors. This chapter will provide insights into the unique nutritional risks that face our older adult population and guidance for effective interventions to meet their nutritional needs.

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Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the authorship and/or publication of this article: US Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development (I01 RX002843 (CWB)/IK2 RX002348 (KNPS)) and National Institute on Aging (T32AG00002941 (MSB)).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for the Study of Aging, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA

    Kathryn N. Porter Starr, Michael S. Borack, Jamie C. Rincker & Connie W. Bales

  2. Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA

    Kathryn N. Porter Starr & Connie W. Bales

  3. Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Kathryn N. Porter Starr & Connie W. Bales

Authors
  1. Kathryn N. Porter Starr
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  2. Michael S. Borack
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  3. Jamie C. Rincker
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  4. Connie W. Bales
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kathryn N. Porter Starr .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Winona State University, Winona, MN, USA

    Ted Wilson

  2. Athabasca University Centre for Science, Athabasca, AB, Canada

    Norman J. Temple

  3. Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    George A. Bray

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Porter Starr, K.N., Borack, M.S., Rincker, J.C., Bales, C.W. (2022). Nutrition and Aging: Meeting the Unique Needs of Older Adults. In: Wilson, T., Temple, N.J., Bray, G.A. (eds) Nutrition Guide for Physicians and Related Healthcare Professions. Nutrition and Health. Humana, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82515-7_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82515-7_7

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-82514-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-82515-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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