Nutritional status of an institutionalized aged population

The nutritional status of 146 elderly residents in a long-term care facility was evaluated using biochemical and anthropometric measures. The level of nursing care required and meal locale had no significant effect on the overall nutritional status of the residents. The biochemical data indicated three nutritional problems requiring treatment and follow-up: anemia, low vitamin B6 status, and reduced albumin levels. The incidence of these problems in other groups of elderly deserves further study. Six percent of the study population were anemic, with 13% having low serum folate, 6% with low transferrin saturation, and 31% with low TIBC values suggesting more than one factor involved in the anemia. Low vitamin B6 status was observed in 28% of the population. Whether this is due to poor intake, poor absorption, or both is not known. The percentage of residents with decreased albumin levels was slightly higher than that observed in other studies of the elderly, and may be related to the more advanced age of this population.