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Makeda Harris
Professor Otis
UWRT 1102-024
9 November 2014

The Malnourished World: An Inquiry Paper on Elderly Malnutrition

The world we live in today consists of many ongoing problems such as worldwide
violence, global warming, and racial problems; however, a very common and ongoing problem
in our world that does not get as much publicity as the other problems is malnutrition in the
elderly population. I wasnt even aware of how serious and how large this problem was until
I started researching topics for this inquiry project.
Everyone knows that there are elderly people all over this world; however, this issue
doesnt get a lot of shine and spotlight because it is overlooked. Why is it overlooked? Thats a
great question; I dont think anyone has the answer to this question. My guess is because not a
lot of people know about the issue, and the news would rather display more violent issues on
television. This topic is something that everyone can relate to because we all have or have had
elderly relatives in our family; I want to ensure that mine stay healthy and are eating the proper
amount of food.
So what exactly is malnutrition? It is basically a condition that happens when your body
isnt getting the correct amount of nutrients (Malnutrition); this occurs a lot easier in elderly
individuals. The primary cause of elderly malnutrition is aging (Nestl Nutrition). There are a
lot of effects associated with aging including decreased sense of taste and smell, loss of hearing
and vision, and dental problems.

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All of these effects affect appetite, diet, ability to purchase food, etc. (Nestl Nutrition).
A lot of these causes are things that we really dont have control over, and it makes me wonder
how in the world we can stop malnutrition. Something else about this topic that I found to be
very interesting and kind of shocking is that a lot of malnourished elderly are living clueless
lives. In other words I mean that many individuals that are indeed malnourished have no clue
that they are which is kind of scary. So does this mean that as concerned relatives of our elderly
love ones we should be taking them to the doctor excessively or as soon as we notice some of the
effects of aging that I mentioned earlier? Possibly, but Ill talk about other solutions to the
problem later on.
Now that I have explained the cause of elderly malnutrition and the effects it is time to
discuss the statistics of the problem. I mentioned earlier that there is a lot of the elderly
population living with malnutrition unknowingly. So how does that issue match up with the
actual data?
An estimated 5-10% of elderly people living in the community setting are
malnourished, 60% of hospitalized older adults (age 65 or older) and 35-85% in long-term care
facilities are experiencing malnutrition (Maher). These percentages of the malnourished include
the individuals I talked about earlier that dont even know they have this condition; everyone that
makes up these percentages has experienced at least one of the aging effects I talked about
earlier.
Everything is connected. The source also talks about factors that affect malnutrition.
These factors include a decrease in the senses too, as well as loss of appetite; effects of living
conditions were also mentioned such as effects on the length of stay (in hospital), mortality,
physical complications, etc. (Maher). Many of the factors mentioned in this source and the

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previous one are closely related and some are identical, but they all relate to the bigger picture.
The bigger picture is all of the malnourished elderly walking around.
Now two important questions pop up in my head. What kind of solutions and strategies
are out here to solve this problem? How can people become more aware of this problem? Lets
start with solutions and strategies. Believe it or not, there are a lot of possible solutions out right
now.
Are they realistic solutions? Will they work? I think they are reasonable solutions and
they can work if people are willing to make them work. The first possible solution is the
Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST); basically its an online screening test that can
accurately determine if someone is malnourished (Strategies). Any ordinary person that
suspects an elderly person to be malnourished can use this online resource to see how accurate
they are and then take immediate action.
The next solutions are targeted more for healthcare professionals and close relatives with
the potentially malnourished patients. These solutions include checking medications often,
encourage smaller meals in between activities, serve meals that look and smell good, suggests
drink after meals, etc. (Strategies). All of these pertain to improving loss of appetite.
The next solutions pertain to chewing and swallowing difficulties; they include
encouraging good dental and mouth care and serving soft foods. The last few solutions relate to
social isolation and difficulties preparing and obtaining food; they include using convenience
foods that are easier to prepare, add extra fats and sugars to spread meals, and consider MealsOn-Wheels services (Strategies).
Currently the Meals-on-Wheels in the New York area are working very hard to reduce
the amount of elderly malnourished individuals. The percentage of meal recipients who are 90

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or older increased 6% since last year, and those aged 100 and older increased 10% (The
Elderly). In relation to the other sources, the meal recipients in New York experience the same
effects of aging and causes of malnutrition; 73% live alone, 40% rarely or never leave their
homes, and 8% have no one to talk to (The Elderly).
As you can see this problem has many different factors going into it, and it does affect
others such as doctors, families, and friends. It is evident that there are people out here in the
world trying to solve this problem or propose ideas to solve this problem; there is also evidence
that people want to decrease the slightly high percentages of malnourished elderly in their
homes, hospitals, and long term care facilities. It is possible to do; however, it is just going to
take some work.
So I ask this again, how can people become more aware of this problem? Everyone
should just simply spread the word and make it known. Whether we realize it or not, the elderly
population is connected with every other population in some way. This problem does not get any
publicity, so lets make it get some of the spotlight. The resources and information are available,
and now it is just a matter or taking the information and running with it. Tell everyone.
Were all going to grow old one day so why not eliminate the problem now so that we
really wont have to deal with it when that time comes. These percentages can and will decrease;
it is just going to take some effort. Until that day comes, just stay informed, stay positive, and
spread the word.

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Works Cited
"The Elderly and Malnutrition." - Citymeals-on-Wheels. - Citymeals-on-Wheels, n.d.
Web. 09 Nov. 2014.
Maher, Danielle. "Malnutrition in the Elderly: An Unrecognized Health
Issue ." Malnutrition in the Elderly: An Unrecognized Health Issue . RN Journal,
n.d.

Web. 09 Nov. 2014.

"Malnutrition: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National Library of Medicine.

U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.
"Nestl Nutrition Institute - MNA Elderly - Causes of Malnutrition in the
Elderly." Nestl Nutrition Institute - MNA Elderly - Causes of Malnutrition in
the

Elderly. Nestl Nutrition Institute, n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014.

"Strategies to Improve Nutrition in Elderly People." - Prescription Foods. Bpac.org, n.d.

Web. 09 Nov. 2014.