Is your loved one in Silver Spring, MD suddently losing weight?

It’s natural for an elderly person to experience a decrease in appetite over time. There are, however, certain factors that can take this normal phenomenon to an unhealthy extreme, resulting in malnutrition. Here are some conditions that an in-home caregiver in Silver Spring, MD should be able to spot in order to ward off a serious decline in an elderly charge.

Emotional issues can affect eating habits. Depression is one of the primary causes of appetite reduction in the elderly. Over 15% of 65-year-olds under in-home care, and a much higher percentage under nursing home care, experience some form of depression. Depression can be caused by something as traumatic as the loss of a spouse, or something as basic as a lack of purpose.

Memory impairment can also be the cause of reduced eating in the elderly. Some days Mom forgets that she didn’t eat lunch. And in some cases the elderly forego meals when they are unable to recall how to prepare dishes that they lived on in their younger days. It’s easier to skip a meal than to face the fact that you no longer recall how to fix peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  In extreme cases elderly patients may lose the physical ability to feed themselves and might require one-to-one assistance or specialized routines.

Social changes can affect eating habits. In the case of a newly widowed spouse, the loss can be even more debilitating due to the loss of the person who always prepared the meals. Surviving spouses are often unsure how to handle new responsibilities at this stage, even though it can mean the difference between eating and not eating. It’s not easy to learn to cook at the age of 70, and in certain cases it’s not safe. Or perhaps the retired person’s income does not stretch to cover all monthly expenses, and eating balanced meals becomes a burdensome expense.

There are several gastronomic and sensory disorders that can impair an elderly person’s desire to eat. Medication can cause an unpleasant taste in the mouth, which will have an adverse effect on the taste of the food. A reduction of stomach acid, which is a common occurrence as we age, will often cause the mouth to dry out. Dryness in the mouth significantly decreases the taste and smell of food, causing an older person to lose interest in eating. In addition, less stomach acid will reduce digestive enzymes causing uncomfortable constipation with abdominal bloating. This may make the thought of sitting down to a big meal, a bit daunting.

There are a number of physiological reasons why an elderly person would experience a decrease in appetite. Sometimes chewing becomes uncomfortable due to loose and shifting dentures. At other times the elderly person might experience dysphagia (difficulty swallowing or pain during swallowing) due to a stroke, Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease causing them to have difficulty swallowing.

Any one or more of the above conditions coupled with normal aging weight reduction can lead to excessive weight loss. Medical professionals that we spoke with suggest that senior caregivers should observe older, loved ones for a lack of interest in food and be prepared to take action when the patient’s weight begins dropping at a dramatic rate. Caregivers of family members should be concerned when the older loved one loses 10 pounds or more within a 6-month period for home care patients or experiences a 10% decease within 6-months while living in a nursing home. (BMI should not drop below 21).

Beyond skilled nursing, Right at Home's home care aids help many aging Americans with issues that affect elder weight loss. Our caregivers help plan meals, go grocery shopping and even cook for an aging loved one. If your mom or dad is losing weight, please consult your doctor. If a home care aid can help your mom or dad with weight loss issues, please contact your local Right at Home office in Silver Spring, MD.