Via practica 12/2007

NUTRITION IN ELDERLY AND ITS DEFECTS

The nutrition plays an important role in care of geriatric patients. Correct nutrition significantly influences upon comprehensive organism condition, physical and mental efficiency, infection resistance and quality of life. There are two types of nutrition defects in old age: obese(50 % occurrence in age of 65 – 74 years and 22 % occurrence in age over 75 years) and malnutrition (15 % occurrence in age of 65 – 74 years and 45 % occurrence in age over 75 years).

Keywords: elderly, malnutrition, enteral nutrition, nutrition.