Nutritional Strategies for Frail Older Adults, Article Critique Example

Posthauer, M.E., Collins, N., Dorner, B., & Sloan, C. (2013). Nutritional strategies for frail older adults. Advances in Skin & Wound Care: The Journal for Prevention & Healing, 26(3), 128-140.

This article addresses the significance of a multistep process to evaluate and improve nutritional outcomes in older adults. Nutrition in older adults is critical to their overall health and wellbeing, and when the face difficult challenges in regards to their nutritional status, it is likely that they will experience significant complications that are detrimental to new or existing health concerns (Posthauer et.al, 2013). The authors provide several statistics at the beginning of the article to emphasize the size of the older adult population, along with an increased number of hospitalizations and those who are no longer independent and require long-term care (Posthauer et.al, 2013). The article continues with a discussion of the different types of physiological changes that take place in patients when their nutrition is poor or inadequate, such as a greater risk of chronic health conditions, cancer, diabetes, and stroke, among other conditions (Posthauer et.al, 2013). The article also conveys the importance of aging and how it impacts the ability to achieve a healthy diet, one that will provide optimal nutritional support for older adults (Posthauer et.al, 2013).

The article also conveys the importance of nutritional screenings, as these may provide a basis for exploring new insights regarding nutrition in older adults (Posthauer et.al, 2013). These screenings may include the Subjective Goal Assessment, and provides a summary of the criteria that are typically used to evaluate patients and to determine if they have any food-related challenges that may limit their dietary intake (Posthauer et.al, 2013). The article continues with a summary of the nutritional issues surrounding pressure ulcers and how they impact patients, along with other conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and adequate record keeping in regards to patients (Posthauer et.al, 2013).

Journal Critique

This article has a twofold purpose, as it aims to better understand the issues related to poor nutritional status in older adults and how these conditions may contribute to a higher risk of pressure ulcers and other diseases in some patients. In addition, poor nutrition within this population may contribute to a host of other conditions, thereby requiring an examination of different issues that will have a favorable impact on diagnosing patients and in providing them with opportunities to improve their nutritional status. This article serves as an important reminder that nutrition is an essential component of the health and wellbeing of older adults and that when nutrition is poor, it may contribute to a variety of other health issues that may impact treatments and related outcomes.

This article provides a detailed summary of many different areas that are affected by nutrition, including the prevalence of disease and chronic illness in some patients. This information is instrumental in determining how to best treat patients and to provide them with the tools and resources that are required to meet their needs. This article provides much support to discussions regarding gerontology because it provides a framework for understanding the different conditions that impact health and wellbeing in many older adults. Since nutrition is such as significant component of this process, it is necessary to use this article as a valuable resource in supporting a greater understanding of nutrition and how it has a significant impact on every organ and system within the body. This information is relevant to older adult care and treatment because without proper nutrition to begin with, a host of other problems may occur that would be extremely difficult to overcome. Therefore, this article supports the belief that nutrition is critical to the success of patient care and in promoting greater health and wellbeing for older adults.

References

Posthauer, M.E., Collins, N., Dorner, B., & Sloan, C. (2013). Nutritional strategies for frail older adults. Advances in Skin & Wound Care: The Journal for Prevention & Healing, 26(3), 128-140.