Why does appetite sometimes decline in seniors?
There may not be one specific reason that a person’s appetite declines. Instead, it could be a combination of several factors that make eating less appealing or more challenging. Below are a few reasons your older adult patients may be experiencing a decline in appetite.
Physical Changes
Our bodies experience many physical changes as we age that can affect our appetite. The ratios of fat and muscle shift. As we age, our muscle mass changes, and because our muscle mass is more metabolically active than other tissue, we typically need less food to fuel our muscles as our muscle mass decreases. Our gastrointestinal tract’s ability to process food also declines over time, which could result in changes in appetite.
When speaking to Registered Dietitian Sara Casey, she provided the example of clients who may be experiencing difficulty using the restroom, whether they struggle to get up to walk to the bathroom or are experiencing incontinence. People may change their eating and drinking habits so they don’t have to go to the bathroom as frequently.
Sensory Changes
Sensory changes, like changes in smell and taste, can play a part in a decreased appetite. If food tastes different than we remember or it doesn’t smell the same, individuals may be less inclined to eat.
Disease-Related Changes
Acute illness, chronic pain, chronic illness and chronic constipation are disease-related changes that might be responsible for a decreased appetite. Many people don’t enjoy eating when they aren’t feeling well. If a person doesn’t feel well a majority of the time, they may be much less likely to eat as much as they used to.
Following a Diet
Restrictive diets for other medical conditions could make eating less appealing or more challenging to reach nutritional goals.
Change in Physical Ability
Changes in oral health, like getting dentures, could make eating more difficult for some individuals. Other changes in physical ability, such as difficulty using utensils or even vision changes, may make eating feel like a chore to some.
Difficulty Obtaining or Making Food
If your patient doesn’t have a way to get to the store to purchase food or struggles preparing meals for themselves, they may not eat as much as they need to.
Medication
Polypharmacy, or the regular use of five or more medications, is common in seniors and can contribute to a decrease in appetite.
Mental Health
Individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, grief or loneliness may experience a decrease in appetite.
Other reasons for a decreased appetite that are less commonly thought of but can still contribute include certain environmental factors, from the location of where you’re eating to the changes in routines at meal times.
Casey noted that it’s important to keep in mind that talking about food can be triggering for some people, so when trying to get to the root cause of an appetite decline, ask questions that allow your patient to express how they are feeling about their appetite and diet in their own words.
How Senior Living Can Help
Senior living can play an important role in helping your patients meet nutritional goals and dietary needs. A major challenge of eating for some seniors is the difficulty of obtaining and preparing food for themselves. In a senior living community, eating is made easier and less stressful since meals are prepared for and served to residents.
Additionally, many senior living communities bring back a social aspect of eating. Studies have found that individuals eating with others eat up to 48% more food than those eating alone. The prospect of eating every meal alone may be contributing to your patient’s lack of appetite, but in a community where residents can go to a dining room and eat meals with others, mealtimes may become more appealing. Not to mention the added routine of meals being available on a consistent schedule which may help to improve appetite.
In a senior living community, the staff regularly engage with residents, so if there are any major changes in their health that are potentially contributing to a loss in appetite, they can notify the resident’s family or HCP to address a health concern as it arises.
How Brookdale Can Help
Dining is a highlight of life at Brookdale communities, designed to be consistent, delicious and nourishing. Typically, residents are provided several options for their meals, so they can choose to eat whatever sounds more appealing to them. Depending on the level of care, Brookdale staff adjust how mealtimes look depending on a resident’s needs.
In addition to providing access to care and nutritious food, Brookdale leverages decades of expertise in senior care to help residents achieve well-being through nutritious meals and engaging opportunities to make social connections. We actively work to partner with external clinical providers that synergize medical and lifestyle approaches that can potentially create better health outcomes.
Learn More
Reach out to find out more about how Brookdale partners with HCPs to help support the well-being of our residents. Visit our website to find a community near you.
The above content is shared for educational and informational purposes only.