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As people age, their bodies and nutrition needs both change. Additional nutrition complications occur with chronic diseases, medications, and changes in the ability to chew and swallow. Many lose their appetite as they age, making eating difficult. That’s why healthy aging and proper nutrition go hand-in-hand.
A geriatric dietitian helps address all of these issues while developing a sustainable nutrition plan. They provide recommendations based on the latest research so their clients and families have a trusted nutrition expert to guide their food choices. Keep reading to discover how a geriatric dietitian can help you or an aging family member.
A registered dietitian (RD) specializing in working with older adults is a Geriatric Dietitian. These RDs focus on helping their clients meet their dietary needs, which change with aging.
They also help with managing chronic diseases and promoting optimal health and well-being. For example, hydration is often overlooked in older people, and geriatric dietitians help their clients balance hydration and trips to the bathroom.
Finally, they help their clients with meal plans that are easy to prepare and appropriate to any changes in appetite, taste, chewing, and swallowing.
Maintaining a balanced, healthy diet is critical at any age and is even more so for those who are elderly. Many seniors have multiple, complex medical conditions that often have nutrition components for managing the condition or interactions of foods and medications.
A registered dietitian plays an invaluable role in these situations. They provide individualized guidance that starts with a detailed assessment of the client’s health, goals, dietary needs, and lifestyle factors. They help their clients choose nutrient-dense foods, select appropriate portions, and stay hydrated while accounting for any medical conditions and medication interactions.
In addition to nutrition needs changing with aging, appetite and hunger also change. Many people have changes to their ability to chew their food or their ability to swallow certain liquids or foods. Eating a balanced diet and getting proper nutrition as one reaches their senior years can be complex.
A registered dietitian provides customized meal plans designed to address their client’s nutritional needs while incorporating any modifications that need to be made due to chewing or swallowing changes. For those struggling to maintain or gain weight, an RD will provide ideas to easily incorporate additional calories into meals and snacks.
They also help their clients turn the recommendations into actions. Geriatric dietitians help with education on meal planning, grocery shopping, easy meal preparation, and appropriate portion sizes.
The goal of a geriatric dietitian is to help their senior clients have balanced, proper nutrition, manage any diseases, and have a long, healthy life.
A registered dietitian has received a Master’s degree, completed hundreds of hours of supervised practice in an internship, and passed a national certification exam. They have a deep understanding of how nutrition affects the human body. A geriatric dietitian has received additional training in the issues and nutrition requirements of aging. Many receive a Board Specialist in Gerontological Nutrition certification. This means they are uniquely qualified to work with aging adults.
Aging in the human body is a complex process. While many changes are seen externally, such as changes in hair color and skin wrinkles, there are also changes occurring internally. All organ systems are impacted by aging: nervous, cardiovascular, renal, metabolic, musculoskeletal, digestive, etc. Changes to the body’s systems impact how the body digests, absorbs, and uses the nutrition obtained through food.
Eating the right food can help support healthy aging. Working with a professional, like a geriatric dietitian, who understands the aging body’s unique and geriatric nutrition needs can help create a longer, healthier life.
For example, geriatric dietitians help clients incorporate additional protein into their diet since the aging body has a decreased ability to digest and absorb protein. They also help with bone health by ensuring adequate intake of calcium, Vitamin D, and other nutrients critical to bone health.
As people age, their nutrition needs change. Increased needs for protein, Vitamin D, Calcium, and Vitamin B are just a few of the nutrition needs that change with age.
A geriatric dietitian helps clients assess their current needs, identify any nutritional gaps, and provide recommendations to fill those gaps in ways that are doable for each client. They also ensure any food-medication interactions are accounted for. If the client takes any supplements, the geriatric dietitian can review them to ensure the appropriate dosing. They help with all of these things with the goal of promoting healthy aging.
When an older adult is frail or sick, their nutritional needs are even more complex. It can take more than providing proper nutrition to help overcome health and medical issues.
A geriatric dietitian helps with food and fluid recommendations and modifications for those who have issues chewing and swallowing. They can provide meal ideas that are quick and easy to prepare and eat.
Often, malnutrition becomes a concern as people age. Malnutrition is often overlooked but can lead to serious declines in health and quality of life. A geriatric dietitian can be on the lookout for signs of malnutrition and is well-versed in helping someone experiencing malnutrition become appropriately nourished.
Older adults have numerous considerations when it comes to their nutrition. Geriatric dietitians are key members of the healthcare team to ensure their clients receive proper nutrition as they age.
A geriatric dietitian is a trusted member of an aging person’s healthcare team. They help ensure that their clients meet their nutritional needs while considering many issues, including an aging body, chronic disease, and nutrition changes. A geriatric dietitian provides a trusted source of nutrition information and can help tell fact from fiction in all of the information available on the internet and media to guarantee that their clients get the best recommendations for their situation.
To get started working with a geriatric dietitian, get in touch with us today.
Offices currently located in Syracuse, Buffalo, Albany, and Rochester, NY, but we see patients all across the country.
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