Under-Eating, Homebound Elders

Do you know that under-eating is a problem among homebound older adults? According to a study in The Gerontologist [Vol 48, Number 2, Apr 08], 70% of the 230 homebound elders who participated in the study were not consuming enough calories to maintain their body weight. This places them at risk for disability, hospitalization and nursing home placement. There are many reasons why their caloric intake is insufficient for optimum health; low income, poor oral health, living alone, lack of a social network, inadequate caregiver support, cognitive impairment, poor appetite, vision and hearing impairment, and low religious participation. Even those homebound older adults receiving just one delivery or prepared meal daily are less likely to under-eat. The investigators found that "prevention of unintentional weight loss...may be beneficial in the prevention or restoration of function disability."