Spotting Malnutrition Symptoms in Your Loved One
Spotting Malnutrition Symptoms in Your Loved One Medical
Recommended foods and diet Thickening agents to add to liquid and soft foods
Spotting the Signs of Malnutrition in Your Loved One
Follow these steps to help prevent and address malnourishment concerns
Julia Hiebaum / Alamy Stock Photo Your once-husky dad has and four pants sizes. Your mom, a lifelong gourmet, has switched from French food to French fries and the kind of cereal she wouldn’t let you eat as a kid. On the list of things that can go wrong, a small appetite or a taste for junk food seems minor and easily explained — even predictable. A decreased appetite is a frequent side effect of aging. When taste and smell get dull, the jacked-up flavors of processed food can become more appealing. In truth, either behavior can spawn a crisis: malnutrition. And because the outward signs are the same as problems associated with age — falling, anemia, slow healing and — it can escape notice. Even healthy eaters who maintain weight can be running near empty because vitamin and mineral absorption decrease with age. If you are concerned your loved one is underweight, undermined by diet, or possibly undernourished, you’ll want to consult an expert. And since health professionals can’t fix what they don’t know about, you’ll want to gather the information the doctor needs to help your loved one.Preventing Malnutrition Step by Step
Step 1 See a doctor
If you’ve noticed a change in your loved one’s appetite or weight, make an appointment with the healthcare provider for a nutritional evaluation. You may request: A Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS) and a (MNA) to determine if the patient has or is at risk of malnutrition Lab tests for nutrient absorptionStep 2 Consider possible reasons your loved one might be undernourished
Anxiety Alcoholism Absorption of fewer nutrients Medications (may upset digestion or nutrient absorption, or reduce appetite) Chronic illness Depression Dementia Dental issues Difficulty swallowing Loneliness Mourning (the loss of a partner, friends, pet or their own stamina and independence) Restricted diet Inability to afford adequate groceries Sensitivity to a certain food group Recent hospital stay Unidentified physical issueStep 3 Start a food journal for your loved one
Include: All meals, snacks and drinks — including water and alcohol — and calories (before serving, measure each item; afterward, measure all that remains uneaten, using a ) Reaction to food or drink — such as gagging, choking, sneezing, stomach issues and headache When and which medication is given Number of cigarettes your loved one smoked, if any (cigarettes suppress appetite)Step 4 Talk it out
If your loved one is able, have a gentle, but upfront, conversation before the doctor’s visit. Include: Your observations about appetite Your loved one’s concerns and feelings Your concerns Suggestions, likes and dislikes Permission to sit in on your loved one’s doctor’s appointments, if not already establishedStep 5 Share your findings
Report the food journal and other concerns with your loved one’s medical team before the appointment by email or phone. This will give the doctor time to consider what you have to say. Know your limitations: As your loved one’s family caregiver, the medical provider may discuss your loved one’s treatment with you — unless your loved one has told the doctor that it may not be shared with others. If your loved one has signed a release, the doctor can discuss your loved one’s health with you. Even if your loved one has told the doctor not to share medical information with others, the physician or medical assistant can listen to your report, questions and concerns by phone, in person or by email. They can use the information to better diagnose and treat the patient, but they cannot discuss diagnosis or medical information with you.Step 6 Participate in appointments
If you are present during the appointment, your participation should depend on how well your loved one can carry and comprehend the conversation. Let your loved one take the lead. Your job is to: Take notes Approach concerns with tact and empathy, and without judgment or emotion Clarify questions and answers Remember to let unwelcome orders come from the medical provider (doctors are more easily forgiven than relatives and friends)Step 7 Ask a health professional
How to improve appetite If current prescriptions might be suppressing appetite If a prescription change could spark appetite If nutritional supplements are needed About best foods for the patient How to making food more palatable About diagnosis and treatment For the name of a nutritionist or dietician specializing in geriatrics About books, videos and websites for caregivers Questions to ask if the issue is:Get recommendations for: Drug therapy Mental health therapists Alternate or additional therapies
Get recommendations for: A therapist or group therapy A local support group An online support group A visiting companion organization A program that uses older volunteers Adult day care
Get recommendations for: A therapist specializing in loss Recommended reading Local or online support group
Get recommendations for:
Recommended foods and diet Thickening agents to add to liquid and soft foods