NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF THE ELDERLY AFTER DISCHARGE FROM THE ACUTE GERIATRIC UNIT

• Published in: Innovation in Aging
• Main Authors: Blondal, B, Ramel, A, Geirsdottir, O
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 2018
• Subjects: Abstracts; Iceland
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6228033/; https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igy023.1839

Nutritional status of hospitalized old adults is often inadequate after discharge to their homes. The aim of the study was to assess dietary intake, food security and nutritional status of old adults after discharge. In this pilot study community-dwelling old adults (N = 13; 87.7 ± 5.6 yrs; MMSE ≥ 20; no catabolic diseases) discharged from the Acute Geriatric Unit of the National University Hospital of Iceland were included. Anthropometrics, dietary intake, food security and quality of life (QoL) were assessed at discharge, one week (home) and two weeks later (home). Baseline BMI was 24.7 ± 5.1 kg/m2 and there was significant weight loss during the 2 weeks period in participants (-2.6 kg, P = 0.0001) resulting in an endpoint BMI of 23.8 ± 4.7 kg/m2. Actual daily energy- (759.0 ± 183.4 kcal) and protein intake (35.1 ± 7.5 g) were significantly lower (both P<0.001) than the corresponding estimated requirements (2233.1 ± 171.5 kcal; 92.8 ± 10.4 g). Kitchen assessment revealed that 33% of all foods were expired and 24% of all foods had visible mold. Of the participants, 75% experienced loneliness and QoL (31.5 ± 8.6) was significantly lower than the age and gender dependent reference values of 50. Loneliness, malnutrition, inadequate dietary intake, and food insecurity are serious problems in discharged old adults in Iceland. There is a great need for individualized nutritional therapy, during and after hospital stays to ensure proper dietary intake with the aim to reduce malnutrition and re-admissions as well as to increase the quality of life of old adults.