Nutritional crisis for the elderly! 90% of caregivers feel that they have insufficient nutrition knowledge. Doctors urge them to ask the elderly "2 things" first

[Reporter Lin Zhiyi/Reported from Taipei] The nutrition of the elderly is crucial to whether they can "age healthily", maintain optimal body functions, and enjoy life to the fullest. However, the survey found that more than 60% of the interviewees found that their elders usually dine alone, and more than 80% were worried that their elders' poor food management would affect their diet. In this regard, doctors suggest that caregivers can make a preliminary assessment of the nutritional risks of their elders based on whether the elder has abnormal weight loss and poor appetite. If the answer to any of the questions is "yes", it is recommended to seek professional assistance to evaluate whether there is any need for adjustment.

The Health and Nutrition Research Institute (SFHNC) joined hands with civil society groups and government units to conduct the "2026 Elderly Dietary Nutrition Survey Questionnaire" to understand the dietary status of the elderly under the observation of caregivers. The survey covered 19 counties and cities in Taiwan, interviewed 529 frontline family and community caregivers, and touched 5,000 elderly people.

The survey results show that 67.8% of the caregivers surveyed observed that their elders generally eat alone, 84.8% believe that elders who eat alone will affect their healthy diet due to poor food management, and 93% of the caregivers surveyed believe that their elders do not have the concept of correctly preserving food, 91.9% believe that their daily nutrition knowledge is still insufficient, and 92.2% believe that dental and swallowing problems affect their elders' diet.

Cai Mengxiu, an attending physician at the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Chi Mei Hospital, said that nutrition is the key to ensuring the healthy aging of the elderly. Poor nutrition will affect mobility, which will make it difficult to go out to purchase ingredients, prepare meals while standing, and operate cooking utensils. The cognitive ability of the elders is also related to whether the elders can remember dietary recommendations, food storage time, etc. The chewing ability determines what foods the elders eat and whether they eat enough, and their emotional state will also affect the elders' willingness to eat.

Regarding how caregivers can confirm the nutritional risks of their elders, Cai Mengxiu suggested that the public can ask their elders "two questions", including "whether they have not deliberately lost weight, but their weight has lost 3 kilograms in the past three months" and "whether they have poor appetite." As long as the elder answers "yes" to any of the questions, the caregiver should be alert and check whether the elder's nutritional supplement is insufficient.

Cai Mengxiu also mentioned that statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that elderly people over the age of 65 are at a higher risk of serious health problems due to food-borne diseases, and nearly half of those over the age of 65 who are infected with food-borne diseases such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, and E. coli require hospitalization.

Therefore, Cai Mengxiu reminded that in addition to nutrition on the table, special attention must be paid to the food preservation habits of the elders. Many elders have difficulty in preparing meal portions and handling leftover food. They think that the food will not go bad if they are put in the refrigerator and can be eaten again by reheating. Caregivers must pay special attention to the possible risk of bacterial growth during the process of food preservation and re-entry.