Objective
- To promote health and reduce chronic disease risk through the consumption of healthful diets and achievement and maintenance of healthy body weights.
- To increase the proportion of physician office visits that include counseling or education related to nutrition or weight based on the clients.
- To prevent inappropriate weight gain in older adults.
- To increase the variety and contribution of vegetables and fruits to the diets of older adults who are diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes.
Assessment
The client will be asked three pretest questions before the process started and will be asked the same questions after the teaching to understand how much he understood the concept of nutrition.
Pretest Assessment :
- What kind of foods can put you more at risk to increase your blood sugar.
- Client's Answer: Vegetables and fruits, because I can't get enough carbohydrate out of vegetables and fruits.
- As far as we put fruits and vegetables in our table, we don't need to look the portion of fats and carbohydrates in our plate.T/F
- Client's Answer: True: I like to eat fat like cheese and bread. even though there is nothing in vegetables, I think I can get enough glucose from the carbohydrates and fats.
Diabetes Meal Planning for Older Adults
- Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is essential throughout all stages of life. However, seniors with diabetes are more likely to suffer from nutritional deficiencies, especially in the vitamins B1, B12, C and D folate calcium, Zinc magnesium.
- To ensure your family member with diabetes is receiving the best nutrition possible, bear in mind that dietary considerations change with age.
- Older adults generally need 20-to-30% fewer calories than they did when they were younger and more active.
- Protein should account for 10-to-20% of caloric intake
- When it comes to carbohydrates, the total amount is more important than the source. Foods that contain sugar can substitute for other carbohydrates in the meal plan.
- The American Dietetic Association’s recommendation of 20-to-35 grams of fiber per day may be too high for some seniors.
- Too much fiber for people who are bedridden or dehydrated can lead to serious digestive problems.
- Sodium restrictions should be carefully evaluated. Older adults tend to have reduced taste perceptions.
- To maintain optimal glucose levels, alcohol use may need to be significantly restricted or eliminated.