Exploring the importance of diet in healthy ageing.

Abstract

There is a significant interconnection between nutrition, age-related physiological changes and health, so it is important that older people consume a healthy diet to support healthy ageing. However, diet is a complex concept, in that it provides an individual's nutritional requirements but also requires moderation in the presence of common age-related health conditions. Moreover, food is inextricably linked with factors such as personal taste, cultural background and religious requirements, therefore any discussion about an individual's diet requires nurses to take a person-centred approach while demonstrating cultural humility. In this article, the authors provide an overview of nutrition in older adults, including the risk of malnutrition and the importance of hydration. The authors also discuss the role of essential nutrients in supporting healthy ageing and consider how nurses might promote a healthy diet in older people using a person-centred approach.