Chapter 14: Nutrition for Older Adults
A family is touring a long-term care facility to determine whether it is a good place for their older family member. What is the best way for the nurse to describe the nutritional options offered by the facility?
"We offer a liberal healthy diet with emphasis on nutrient-dense foods."
The nurse is preparing to conduct a nutrition assessment for an older adult who lives independently alone. Which question(s) will the nurse plan to ask? Select all that apply.
"Where do you like to go when you eat out?" "Who does the food shopping for you?" "How often do you cook for friends and family to come over?" "Has your health care provider told you to adhere to any specific diet?" "Which kinds of foods are your favorite?"
A client is questioning her calcium intake and wonders whether she should take supplements. The nurse recognizes that this 65-year-old female has a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for calcium of how much?
1,200 mg/day
The nurse is caring for a client whose average weight is 120 pounds. Within 30 days, the nurse will intervene if the client's weight drops below which amount?
114 pounds
The nurse is meeting with an older adult client and his daughter to discuss the client's nutritional needs. His daughter wants to ensure that she is preparing his meals to meet the client's nutritional requirements. The nurse points out that the AI for fiber for this 77-year-old male is how much?
30 grams.
The nurse is seeing an older adult client for whom there is a concern that the client is not getting enough protein. What is the approximate recommended intake of protein per day for an older adult who weighs 140 pounds? (Round to the nearest whole number.)
51 grams
When determining dietary needs for individuals, which assessment data indicates to the nurse that a client is underweight?
64 inches tall, weight of 100 pounds
The nurse is seeing a 63 year old female client who may be taking too much iron from supplements. The nurse is aware that the RDA for iron in women age 51 to 70 years is how much?
8 mg/d.
The nurse suspects that the change to a liberal eating plan in the skilled nursing facility has improved the overall general health of the residents. What did the nurse observe to make this decision?
A 35% improvement in the healing of pressure injuries
The nurse is caring for an older adult who is at risk for undernutrition. Which suggestion will the nurse make to help the client increase caloric intake?
Add cream to mashed potatoes
A 77-year-old female has been brought to the emergency department after her family found her disoriented and unkempt at home. The family is unsure whether she has been eating and report that there was some spoiled food sitting on the table. The nurse recognizes that the client is at risk for malnutrition. Which of the following nursing diagnoses would be MOST appropriate in this situation?
Altered nutrition: eating less than body needs
A family is concerned that the multiple drugs their older family member is taking are adversely affecting his nutritional status. The nurse is aware that with the increase number of medications, the intake of which of the following has been noted to decrease?
B vitamins
The nurse is seeing an older adult client who reports diminished hunger. The nurse recognizes this is likely related to which of the following physiological changes of aging?
Decreased metabolic rate
The nurse suspects that an older client would benefit from daily calcium supplements. What information caused the nurse make this decision?
Does not like the taste of milk
A family member is concerned that an older adult family member does not have adequate nutritional intake. Which of the following is a risk factor for malnutrition among the older adult population?
Eating alone
A client has been diagnosed with sarcopenia. The client's family wants to know what dietary changes will help this client. Which of the following foods can the nurse recommend for inclusion in this client's diet? Select all that apply.
Eggs Dairy Fish
A client's son is frustrated that the client is not eating enough. "He just says he isn't hungry and won't eat," the son says. During the assessment, the client tells the nurse all food tastes bland. Which of the following suggestions might improve this client's diet?
Enhance flavor with seasonings.
An older adult client has been identified as having a vitamin D deficiency and is instructed to take supplemental vitamin D. Citing the recommendation of the Endocrine Society, which serum level of vitamin D does the nurse identify as the goal of the supplementation?
Greater than 30 ng/mL
An older adult client has just been identified as frail. The client's significant other is questioning the nurse regarding the condition. Which information about frailty will the nurse provide to the client's significant other? Select all that apply.
Identified by criteria inclusive of loss of muscle mass and weakness Lacking an international standard of measurement
A 58-year-old obese female has just been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. The nurse suggests that this client try to lose weight for which of the following reasons?
It will relieve symptoms in the weight-bearing joints.
The nurse seeing the family of an older adult client in long term care. The family would like to know what they can do to support optimal food intake for the client. Which of the following should the nurse suggest?
Joining the client at some meal times
A caregiver of an 80-year-old client is concerned the client is not eating enough or getting sufficient nutrients. Which of the following strategies might the nurse recommend?
Make mealtime as enjoyable as possible.
A client with concerns regarding a family history of Alzheimer's disease requests nutrition advice from the nurse. Which diet does the nurse suggest to the client?
Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet
Nutritional screening of older adults is an important aspect of the assessment to determine and identify potential nutritional problems. The nurse can use which of the following tools to perform the assessment?
Mini Nutritional Assessment, Short Form
The young nurse is finding it challenging to convince some older clients to make changes to improve their health and/or prevent chronic disease. What does the nurse need to realize about this situation?
Most older adults are more prone to accept changes in health as a normal aspect of aging.
The nurse is aware that as individuals age, their need for calories decreases. For which of the following reasons is this true?
Older adults experience a decrease in metabolic rate.
The nurse is providing education regarding protein requirements to an older adult client. Which information will the nurse provide to the client? Select all that apply.
Protein requirements for older adults increase in the presence of either acute or chronic diseases. Older adults need a higher protein intake than younger adults to promote muscle protein synthesis.
The nurse is assessing the dining room of a long-term care facility to see what improvements can be made to encourage the residents to eat more. Which of the following are strategies that can be used to promote better intake? Select all that apply.
Provide a neat and comfortable dining environment Family involvement increases resident intake Specialized utensils and dishes for residents with functional or cognitive impairments
The nurse is preparing an exercise session for a group of residents at a nursing home. The nurse recognizes that the session should be designed to accomplish which of the following?
allow the residents to exercise as their abilities permit
The nurse uses the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) to assess the nutritional status of the older adult clients who come to the clinic. The nurse recognizes that a score of 10 indicates which of the following?
at risk for malnutrition.
The nurse is aware that some of the older residents in a long term care facility are not consuming adequate protein. Which of the following factors is the MOST likely reason for this?
decreased ability to chew meats
The nurse is assessing an older adult client who was just admitted to the unit for vomiting and dehydration. The nurse is aware that this client is at risk for malnutrition due to which of the following physical changes?
decreased nutritional absorption due to decreased gastric blood flow
The nurse has noticed that an older adult client is showing signs of cognitive impairment. The nurse should assess the client for which of the following FIRST?
dehydration
The nurse is concerned that an older adult client is chronically underhydrated. After speaking with the caregiver, the nurse identifies which of the following as the cause for the poor hydration?
fear of incontinence
The nurse is aware that as an individual ages, various changes will occur. One particular metabolic change that is affected by nutrition involves which of the following hormones?
insulin
The nurse is aware that many older adults may be lacking vitamin A in their diets. Which of the following foods can the nurse suggest that will provide vitamin A?
liver
The nurse recognizes that older adult clients are at an increased risk for malnutrition for various reasons. The nurse is aware that malnutrition is associated with which of the following problems?
longer hospitalizations.
When assessing older adult clients, the nurse is aware that a key predictor of malnutrition in older adults is which of the following?
loss of appetite.
The nurse is seeing a 59 year old client who states she wants to lose weight. The nurse should inform the client that weight loss in the older adult may result in which of the following?
loss of muscle.
The nurse is concerned that a 92-year-old client should no longer be living alone because she is having difficulty ambulating and caring for herself. The nurse is aware that the loss of muscle mass and strength is referred to as which of the following?
sarcopenia
The nurse is preparing for a small group of senior citizens to discuss their nutritional needs. The nurse will point out that the consumption of which nutrient is usually high in older adults?
sodium
The family members of an older adult client in a long-term care facility are concerned that a restrictive diet will decrease quality of life for the client. The nurse correctly explains that the diet must be adhered to for which of the following reasons?
when a significant improvement in health can be expected
When assessing older clients, the nurse is aware that some individuals are at a higher risk for developing osteoporosis than others. Which of the following are risk factors for developing osteoporosis? Select all that apply.
white female postmenopausal female low body weight low calcium intake cigarette smoking
