Appetite loss is common in the elderly, leading to weight loss and nutritional deficiencies. This has an impact on health, and in some cases, can increase mortality rates.
In this blog, we will help you to understand why appetite loss occurs in the elderly and provide strategies that can be used to promote better appetite and increase food intake.
Understanding appetite loss in the elderly
It is normal for elderly people to experience a loss of appetite – it’s often linked to physical changes that happen as humans age and this results in a decline in their energy levels, a lower resting metabolic rate and a less active lifestyle.
Weight loss leads to a decline in health as individuals will experience less muscle strength, feelings of fatigue and will become frailer overall and more susceptible to infections.
It is often trickier to reverse weight loss in elderly people, so the key is to spot it early and intervene to prevent this decline in their overall health.
Why does appetite change?
There are a number of reasons that elderly people’s appetite changes. We will take a look at these reasons in more depth below.
Emotional
Emotions can play a big role in your appetite. Being tired can result in a person deciding not to bother eating or to give up on their meal partway through.
Eating meals is a social activity that humans do. As people become elderly and their social circle shrinks, they may experience feelings of loneliness and isolation, and this may lead to anxiety or depression, which are big contributing factors to appetite loss in the elderly.
On top of this, it’s not a lot of fun to prepare food and eat alone, demotivating people from even doing so in the first place. A loss of appetite can also be a sign of depression, so it is worth speaking to your GP, or your loved one’s GP, about this.
Social
Generally, elderly people are less social than younger people, meaning they are less active. If you are less active, you likely have a smaller appetite, as you aren’t burning as much energy.
As mentioned above, with social circles getting smaller, elderly people may have fewer chances to come together with friends to have meals, resulting in a reduced appetite and a sense of ‘eating apathy’.
An individual may have difficulties communicating that they are hungry or that they are being offered food that they don’t like, leading to weight loss and a shrinking appetite.
Medical
The side effects of medication can affect an individual’s appetite. It’s important to talk to your GP, or your loved one’s GP, if you are concerned about this. It’s worth keeping in mind that certain illnesses can also suppress appetite in the elderly, including thyroid disorders or strokes.
Older people often experience slower gastric emptying, meaning food remains in their stomach longer, resulting in feelings of fullness for longer periods of time.
Changes to taste, smell, or even sight, can reduce the enjoyment an elderly person has for meals, as eating is such a sensory experience.
A person may lose interest in eating if they have difficulty chewing and swallowing, or they are suffering from constipation. In addition, if someone is already in pain, this may put them off eating or may make it hard for them to do so.
Many elderly people may have dentures, and this could be causing them discomfort or affecting their ability to eat; therefore, having regular dental check-ups is key to maintaining their appetite.
Methods to encourage eating
There are a number of different strategies you can use to stimulate appetite in the elderly, and thus, increase their appetite naturally. We’ll go into more detail about these below.
Variety is the spice of life
Your loved one may be getting bored with having the same, or similar, meals over and over again.
As their world becomes smaller as they get older, we recommend providing them with some variety and intrigue by offering them a choice of different meals to have. Experiment with different temperatures and textures to identify what they like.
If your loved one has trouble communicating, you might even be able to show them pictures of food, and they can indicate what they might like to try.
Make what they love
If you can make a concerted effort to prepare meals that your elderly relative or friend loves, or prepare their meals in a way that you know they particularly enjoy, you increase the chances that they will be consumed, and that’s a win-win.
Certain smells and dishes can evoke feelings of nostalgia amongst elderly people, making it more likely that they will be interested in consuming the food offered. And think about the bakery section of a supermarket, the smell of freshly baked bread is enough to set off hunger pangs in most people, so try to recreate this if possible for your elderly relative to get them hungry and thinking about food!
Be savvy with ingredients & establish routines
Ensure the meals your elderly loved one is eating are rich in protein, so opt for meat, fish, eggs, beans and pulses to guarantee they are getting the sustenance they need to maintain muscle mass.
In addition, incorporating ingredients that are high in calories, such as whole milk and butter, is a good way to ensure they are consuming the calories they require.
Another good tip is not to overload their plate, as this can feel overwhelming, and food can go cold, which is unappealing and reinforces a negative cycle when it comes to eating.
Multi-vitamins are also a good way to supplement an elderly person’s restricted diet and ensure they are getting important nutrients. Humans love routine; try to establish a routine where an elderly person will come to expect a certain meal at a certain time and build it into their day.
Where you can, eat with them.
Remember, humans are social creatures, and it’s more fun to eat together!
Get active
Where possible, try to encourage your elderly loved one to be active; not only will this increase feelings of wellbeing, but it may even increase their appetite as they are burning more energy while going for a walk in the park, for example.
Conclusion
It can be concerning when an elderly relative loses their appetite and appears to be fading away in front of your eyes.
We hope this blog has gone some way towards reassuring you that appetite loss in the elderly is common due to physical changes in the body as we age. And we hope it has provided some helpful strategies to deploy to support and encourage your loved one to eat more.
If you are concerned about weight loss in an elderly relative or friend, you can seek professional help. One avenue could be contacting their GP and starting a conversation.
Another avenue is investigating home care provision, where dedicated carers make home visits to an individual, caring for their needs, prepping meals and assisting with eating.
Here at Hamill Homecare we offer just that. If you have any specific questions about what we do, please contact our team today and we’d be happy to have a conversation with you to see how we can help.