Meeting the nutritional needs of the elderly in the institutional setting

Meeting the nutritional needs of elderly persons who are living in institutionalized settings is often a great challenge for nutrition practitioners. Part of the challenge is to determine nutritional requirements by appropriately assessing individual needs, and part is to analyze the effects of risk factors that include chronic conditions, intermittent concurrent illnesses, medications, and psychologic state. Another strategy in meeting the nutritional needs of the institutionalized elderly is to set nutritional goals within the constraints imposed by the resources available within the institution. Some of the obstacles to achieving nutrition goals in individuals living in an institution may be closely related to the limits imposed by institutional resources, which may include staffing patterns, finances, and state and federal regulations.