The Influence of Malnutrition among Elderly Living in Australia

The Influence of Malnutrition among Elderly Living in Australia

Introduction

The occurrence of certain diseases due to the acquiring of modern life style is increasing day by day in all age group. These diseases include cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and different kinds of cancers. On the other hand, the elderly contributes their appearance in the nutritionally susceptible populace. According to the Australian Nutrition Screening Initiative (Collins, Kershaw & Brockington, 2005), 30 percent of the Australian community populace was malnourished. In case of elderly patients, the actual need is related to the nutrition with reduced loss of the lean muscles as well as decreased requirement of energy. Many factors lead the elderly patients to the diminution of muscles. Cachexia, sarcopenia and malnutrition regarding protein energy are some of the major precipitating factors. In the elderly population, there is an increase in the protein energy malnutrition with the increase in age and also cause comorbidities (Agarwal et al, 2013). Therefore, the regular checkup of the older age patients is critical in order to timely identify the health related problems as well as for the initiation of the required treatment.

Discussion

Malnutrition

Malnutrition is described as the health disorder related to the habit of over eating or very limited intake of food. This term includes two terms under nutrition as well as over nutrition. Malnutrition with regard to the elderly people considers the description about the condition of under nutrition. Under nutrition involves the deficiency of vital nutrients as well as the food energy. It has two parameters; lack of micronutrients and malnutrition related to protein energy. Mostly both the factors are present in the person suffering from malnutrition.

The Rising Population of Elders

The percentage of the elderly patients is rapidly mounting. It seems like the percentage of the population of people over sixty years will become double in initial five decades of the present century. Analysts predicted the number of older patients in worldwide will rise to two billion from 605 million (WHO, 2012). Along with this, provision of the quality health care services to the elderly patients is crucial at the level of the community as well as hospital.

The analysts, associated to the University of Queensland of Australia, proposed in their research study that there is strong evidence showing the protein malnutrition as the frequent factor in the elderly population. The said aspect was found in all places including community setting, nursing home and hospitals. Investigators emphasized on the proper balance diet and exercise for the elderly patient in order to cope the problem of malnutrition.

Elderly Population in Australia

In the present scenario, the ageing population contributes the 13.6 per cent of the entire populace of Australia. The percentage of elderly people was 8.3 in the year of 1971, and the prediction regarding this population by 2015 is 16.4 per cent which will be increased to twenty six percent by the year of 2051 (Renehan, Dow, Lin & et al, 2012). Investigators estimated that the population of ...