Malnutrition in the older adult
Warning signs: unintentional weight loss of 5 % in one month or 10 % in six months, BMI under 22, reduced intake for more than a week, loose clothing or dentures, low albumin. Causes to explore: dental and swallowing problems, ill-fitting dentures, altered taste from medication, depression, isolation, poverty, dependence for eating, unappetizing or culturally unfamiliar meals, rushed mealtimes. Malnutrition slows healing, increases infection and pressure injury risk, and worsens confusion.