More than half of NZ’s elderly not eating well, study suggests

Too many elderly people in New Zealand are going hungry, sparking calls for mandatory screening for malnutrition risk, a new study says.

Massey University Associate Professor Carol Wham said her research highlighted the need for mandatory screening in all settings where elderly people lived.

’’It’s something we can actually address, with good nutrition and early intervention and referral to a dietician . . . We just don’t want nutrition impairment to be a cause of ill-health effects later on.’’

The study involved 167 people, aged 65 to 103. It found 23 per cent were malnourished and 35 per cent were at high risk of malnutrition.

The prevalence of malnourishment was greatest in those recently admitted to residen- tial care (47 per cent), with many having lost their independence before getting help.

About 23 per cent of the participants who were in hospital, and 2 per cent living in the community, were also found to be malnourished.

Wham said she hoped the research would be used across the health sector.

‘‘There is a real shortage of good evidence to indicate that we do have a high prevalence of malnutrition in some settings. This particular study just looks at early admission to hospital and early admission to residential care, so it doesn’t reflect what is going on in and happening in the residential care setting.’’

Age Concern Canterbury chief executive Simon Templeton said he was not surprised by the study’s results, with food advertising doing more harm than good for those at risk of malnutrition.

‘‘The media bombardment of eating healthy, going low fat and dieting is not doing older people any favours,’’ he said.

‘‘This type of eating is not suitable for many older people. Poor nutrition and dehydration can be a cause of falls, vehicle accidents and hospitalisation.’’