The population of the United States is aging. In 2009, there were 39.6 million people 65 years old or older, representing 12.9 percent of the American population, according to the federal Administration on Aging. The AOA projects there will be 72.1 million seniors, accounting for 19 percent of the population, by the year 2030. Caring for these senior citizens is an increasingly relevant topic. One key element to ensuring the well-being of the elderly is to make sure that basic dietary needs are met.
Step 1
Provide smaller quantities of nutritious food, still rich in the same essential nutrients that a younger person needs. Reduce portion sizes to suit the elderly person's caloric needs but offer a wide variety of nutritious foods. An elderly person needs fewer calories because she is not as active.
Step 2
Use diet to treat the chronic conditions normally associated with aging, such as heart disease, diabetes mellitus, constipation, high cholesterol and stroke. For example, a person with high blood pressure requires a low sodium diet. He may also need a low-fat diet to treat heart disease and a low-calorie diet to address obesity. Consult with a doctor or nutritionist to determine the exact nutritional needs for the individual elderly person.
Step 3
Assess the senior citizen's chewing and swallowing ability by watching him eat. Strokes, for example, may cause dysphasia, which means he has trouble chewing and swallowing food or liquids. There are five levels of diet to address the special needs of a person with dysphasia, ranging from pureed to a modified regular diet. Grind or puree food using a food processor and add water to bring food to the desired consistency.
Step 4
Determine if an elderly person is able to feed himself. Alzheimer's, arthritis and problems with vision interfere with a person's ability to pick up food with a spoon or fork and deliver it to his mouth. Use specially designed tools, like spoons with a handle that swings, to make it easier for a person with shaky hands to eat soup, or forks with a wide handle that are easier for a stroke victim to grasp. Use straws to make drinking easier.
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