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Nutritional status, well-being and functional ability in frail elderly service flat residents

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 59, pages 263–270 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To investigate nutritional status and its relationship to cognition, well-being, functional ability and energy intake in frail elderly service flat residents.

Design: Cross-sectional and prospective study.

Setting: Two municipal service flat complexes.

Subjects: A total of 80 residents (median age 85.5 (79–90) y) with regular home care assistance participated. A subgroup of 35 residents took part in a re-examination 1 y later.

Methods: Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, Barthel Index and Health Index were used for the evaluation of nutritional, cognitive and ADL function and well-being, respectively.

Results: In all, 30% of the frail and chronically ill service flat residents were assessed as malnourished and 59% were at risk of malnutrition. The malnourished residents had worse cognitive conditions (P<0.001) and well-being (P<0.05), lower functional ability (P<0.01) and they had a greater need for daily assistance (P<0.05) than the other residents. The median night fast period was 14.0 (12.5–15.0) h. Five subjects classified as malnourished at baseline had lost a median of −9.6 kg (range −11.0 to +7.3 kg) (P<0.05) in body weight at the 1-y follow-up, which contrasted significantly from the weight stability in residents classified as at risk for malnutrition or well-nourished.

Conclusion: Out of 10 residents, nine were assessed to have impending nutritional problems that related to impaired well-being, cognition, and functional ability. Malnourished residents had a significant weight loss over one year. Studies are needed to determine whether weight loss and nutrition-related dysfunction in service flat residents are preventable or treatable.

Sponsorship: Karolinska Institutet, Vårdal Foundation and the Swedish Medical Research Council.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the residents and staff at Älvsjö and Enskededalens service flat buildings. The Department of Geriatrics, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge is gratefully acknowledged. The study was supported by grants from Karolinska Institutet Board of Research for Health and Caring Sciences, Vårdal Foundation 97416 and from the Swedish Medical Research Council 09101 and K 2002-72Vx-14308-01A.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Surgery, Centre for Surgical Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden

    A Ödlund Olin & O Ljungqvist

  2. Comprehensive Centre for Elderly Care, Älvsjö, Stockholm, Sweden

    A Koochek

  3. Centre of Gastrointestinal Disease, Ersta Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    O Ljungqvist

  4. Department of Geriatric Medicine, Neurotec Department, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden

    A Ödlund Olin & T Cederholm

Authors
  1. A Ödlund Olin
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  2. A Koochek
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Correspondence to A Ödlund Olin.

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Guarantor: A Ödlund Olin.

Contributors: All authors were engaged in the planning of the study. AÖO, AK performed the study at the service flat complexes. AÖO analysed the data, TC and OL contributed to the interpretation of the analyses. AÖO wrote the manuscript and all authors took part in the final compilation of the manuscript.

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Ödlund Olin, A., Koochek, A., Ljungqvist, O. et al. Nutritional status, well-being and functional ability in frail elderly service flat residents. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, 263–270 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602067

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