Complex nursing care for the elderly with eating disorders

Authors of the contribution is concerned with feeding the elderly, which is frequently discussed a serious problem. Increasing age is a risk factor for the development of nutritional disorders, and therefore the old connection with the frequent occurrence of these disorders, especially with malnutrition. Nutritional disorders in old age lead to serious health problems, prolonging illness and mortality, not least, degradation the quality of life. By reason to demographic changes in terms of life expectancy increasing and the increasing number of elderly people, this issue is highly topical. In case of illness in old age there is a higher risk of malnutrition. The old and the chronically ill in this respect are vulnerable group. Between nutritional status and disease severity, there is a close relationship. It is true that the mere malnutrition is associated with higher mortality and morbidity. Also, every chronic disease leads to malnutrition and malnutrition every clinically latent disease. The most frequent type of malnutri- tion in the elderly is a protein-energy malnutrition with simple starvation, which leads to weight loss. In practice usually carried combinations more examination methods. The basic methods used in the diagnosis of eating disorders in the elderly include: nutritional history, anthropometric and physical examination, laboratory tests and nutritional standardized questionnaires.