ASSESSMENT OF PATIENTS ACROSS THE AGE-CONTINUUM

Assessment of Patients across the Age-Continuum

Assessment of Patients across the Age-Continuum

Introduction

The categories of age which we have selected for this paper are adolescents and elderly. We will assess the patients of these two groups in terms of their nutrition. Given that the malnutrition or excess of food in patients are highly prevalent and that it affects the morbidity and mortality in patients, it is very important to evaluate their nutritional status. With proper interpretation of the findings, appropriate therapeutic measures should be taken to correct deviations from normality. We will consider on the diabetic patients from the two groups to assess their nutritional status.

Significance of Assessment

The significance of the assessment of the nutrition status among the patients is that it will be helpful in indicating the deficit or excess of nutrition taken by the patient which is not healthy in controlling the disease. The importance of nutritional assessment in diabetic children is fundamental to the growth and development stage. A child with diabetes should be treated by their environment in the same way as other children adapt through food education to learn to choose their food by controlling the amount of carbohydrates as well as the amount of fat.

Areas of Assessment

Health refers to the state of physical, mental and social stability and not only to the absence of disease. To obtain this state of health, it is essential to maintain an adequate lifestyle, in terms of eating habits as well. A healthy lifestyle contributes to the existence of an optimal level of health, both physical and mental. The presence of adequate nutritional status contributes to increased life expectancy.

Aging is associated with the increase of a progressive deterioration of biological and health problems, resulting from the interaction of genetic and environmental factors, including lifestyles, eating habits, physical activity and the presence of disease. All individuals show age-related changes. At the same time, there is great variability in the elderly population in regard to correspondence between chronological and physiological age. Nutrition plays an important role in aging, through modulation of changes in different organs and body functions associated with this process.

Nutrition plays an important role in the development of age-related chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cancer and osteoporosis. The nutritional status of the elderly is determined by the requirements and intake; they in turn are influenced by other factors, such as physical activity, lifestyle, the existence of social and family networks, psychological and mental activity, the health condition or disease and socioeconomic constraints. Any assessment of nutritional status, therefore, should include information on these factors, in order to understand the cause of any deficiencies, remedial design interventions and evaluate their effectiveness (Vitale 2006, 1567).

Aging causes physiological changes that affect the need of many essential nutrients. However, even the latest edition (1989) of the daily nutritional recommendations of the United States (RDAs) continues to provide guidance only for the group of 51 years and older, although, there are important differences between the requirements of ...