Research calls for changes to tackle malnutrition

New research aims to raise awareness of malnutrition in older adults and calls for an international standard for diagnosing the condition.

Torrens University Australia researcher Dr Elsa Dent led the study, published in The Lancet, with the intention of lessening the impact of malnutrition on the health system and improving the quality of people’s lives.

“Too often, malnutrition in older people is unrecognised. We think we can see it, but we cannot — especially as some people may have been overweight when they were younger or middle-aged, and then they lose a lot of weight. Sometimes it is seen as a ‘natural’ part of the aging process, but it’s not good,” Dent said.

“When people lose weight when they are older, they often lose muscle mass and that decreases their ability to walk properly, to lift heavy things and their ability to maintain independence.”

The malnutrition research calls for some key changes including:

• Establishing an international standard for diagnosing malnutrition.
• Strengthening the quality of evidence that informs nutritional interventions.
• Ensuring all older adults receive cost-effective, appropriate nutritional care.
• A raised profile of malnutrition in older populations among public health policymakers.
• Public health messages about malnutrition in older adults.

A holistic approach

The research indicated that more education is needed in hospital and healthcare settings to better understand malnutrition in older adults and that only half of medical schools in European countries incorporate the topic of malnutrition in older adults into their curriculum.

“This research is shining a spotlight on how we need to improve our health and aged care systems so that older people have access to better screening and early intervention options that will help improve their quality of life,” Dent said.

“We also need to raise awareness of the environmental and psychological factors affecting the nutritional status in older adults. Often, these factors are forgotten in assessment and treatment, but they are essential for improving clinical practice.

“One of the other major hurdles is that identification of malnutrition and nutritional needs of older adults take a back seat when they present with other care needs.”

Technology, a useful tool

Dent said that electronic medical health alerts can be used to expand the rates of malnutrition screening in older adults in the community.

“We can also use mobile technologies to prompt older adults to increase their dietary intake and use telehealth services to help people who are isolated in rural and remote communities or house-bound,” Dent said.

Image credit: iStock.com/RobertoDavid