Exam 12: Nutrition Through the Life Span - Later Adulthood

Mrs. Wylie is a 78-year-old Caucasian woman who lives alone in a small, one-story home she and her husband purchased several years ago before he died. She lives on social security income and her deceased husband's corporate pension, and is financially secure. Though she is in relatively good health, she has been having increasing difficulty walking for the past several years, which has been attributed to peripheral vascular disease. She complains of weakness and pain in her legs, and a loss of feeling in her fingers and feet. She also suffers from occasional constipation. She is happiest just doing her activities of daily living, such as preparing breakfast, lunch, and a late-afternoon snack, then relaxing in her living room until it is time for bed. She has a good relationship with her adult children, who have been discussing with her the possibility of hiring a visiting nurse as her mobility declines. Her children take turns visiting on Sundays, when they help with her shopping, laundry, and other tasks, but none live close enough to visit daily, and Mrs. Wylie sometimes goes a week without seeing another person. Lately, Mrs. Wylie has been cutting back on drinking water (or any beverages) to save trips to the bathroom. When mild dehydration was noted at a recent visit to the doctor, Mrs. Wylie told her doctor she would try to drink more often, but she is rarely thirsty. She takes seven different prescription and/or over-the-counter medications daily, including a proton pump inhibitor drug for long-standing GERD, and a calcium supplement with vitamin D. ​ ​ -Given the information provided, what describes the greatest risk factor for Mrs. Wylie?​

Few older adults consume the recommend amount of _____ due to complaints about stomach discomfort.​

​Matching -​ life expectancy

Older adults can safely participate in aerobic activity and resistance training until age 85, when the risk of injury from activity is greater than its benefits. ​

​Lifestyle habits that can have a profound influence on health and on physiological age include _____.

An adequate calcium intake throughout life helps protect against _____.​

Studies suggest that a diet providing ample carotenoids, vitamin C, and vitamin E may help to prevent the early onset of cataracts.​

Many older adults fail to obtain the recommended daily 25 or more grams of fiber.​

​Matching -​food deserts

Despite adopting healthy lifestyle habits, people cannot slow the aging process because of the natural limits set by heredity.​

The largest federal food assistance program is _____. ​

​Matching -​neurons

An older adult who lives alone but who only has access to larger packages of food can best use food wisely and avoid waste by _____.​

Protein is especially important for older adults to _____.​

​As people grow older, the use of medicines becomes commonplace, thus increasing the potential for diet-medication interactions.

Mrs. Wylie is a 78-year-old Caucasian woman who lives alone in a small, one-story home she and her husband purchased several years ago before he died. She lives on social security income and her deceased husband's corporate pension, and is financially secure. Though she is in relatively good health, she has been having increasing difficulty walking for the past several years, which has been attributed to peripheral vascular disease. She complains of weakness and pain in her legs, and a loss of feeling in her fingers and feet. She also suffers from occasional constipation. She is happiest just doing her activities of daily living, such as preparing breakfast, lunch, and a late-afternoon snack, then relaxing in her living room until it is time for bed. She has a good relationship with her adult children, who have been discussing with her the possibility of hiring a visiting nurse as her mobility declines. Her children take turns visiting on Sundays, when they help with her shopping, laundry, and other tasks, but none live close enough to visit daily, and Mrs. Wylie sometimes goes a week without seeing another person. Lately, Mrs. Wylie has been cutting back on drinking water (or any beverages) to save trips to the bathroom. When mild dehydration was noted at a recent visit to the doctor, Mrs. Wylie told her doctor she would try to drink more often, but she is rarely thirsty. She takes seven different prescription and/or over-the-counter medications daily, including a proton pump inhibitor drug for long-standing GERD, and a calcium supplement with vitamin D. ​ ​ -Older adults at risk nutritionally, such as Mrs. Wylie, should have their diets assessed at medical appointments for _____. ​

Severe fat restriction among older adults may lead to _____.​

Martin is a 71-year-old patient who has asked about how he can stay healthy as he gets older. An effective strategy to suggest to Martin might be to _____.​

​Matching -​quality of life

The most important nutrition concern for the person with Alzheimer's disease is _____.​