Older Adults and Malnutrition

Malnutrition is an issue among older adults and seniors do end up in the hospital due to malnutrition.

Have you heard of the “Tea and Toast” syndrome? This is an issue with older adults. People have problems getting to the grocery store, people have difficulties cooking because they have arthritic hands and preparing food is a hardship. Lack of motivation to cook because a person is depressed. Malnutrition contributes to the downward spiral ending up with a person becoming too frail to take care of themselves. 

To ensure that a person does not become frail they need to remain physically active; they need to feed their bodies so that the muscles maintain optimal health. If a person becomes frail, the everyday tasks of remaining independent in their home becomes compromised.

There are solutions to ensure that a person eats properly and that is to get them connected to meal programs that are offered in the community. One is the Red Deer Meals on Wheels program, which will deliver a hot meal at noontime to the home, Monday to Fridays. Call 403-340-2511. The good part about this type of program is that when a volunteer delivers the meal, they are also able to do a wellness check and if a person needs more help, they will let the office know and a referral can be made to a community organization. 

Another option is the Golden Circles Frozen Meal program. We offer a wide variety of menu choices. You call the office at 403-343-6074, place an order and you can have it picked up or we also deliver for a small delivery charge. Menus can be found on our website www.goldencircle.ca under the kitchen tab at the top. Malnutrition is a thing, are you eating right to ensure you age well, if not reach out for help.