個別化飲食介入對於高齡照顧機構居民的影響

Effects of Personalized Diets Intervention for Nursing Home Elderly Residents

台灣地區的老年人口占總人口數的比例超越10%，早已跨越7% 人口高齡化國家的門檻。隨著人口結構高齡化、疾病型態慢性化以及健康照護需求多元與複雜化，如何提供符合國情與民眾需求的安養照護模式，是必須面對的課題。高齡者因為老化或慢性疾病等各種因素，在飲食的攝取上受限於味覺的遲鈍、吞嚥困難或慢性疾病的營養限制，因而無法順利進食，導致營養不良，甚者更影響生命。因此，本研究以台灣地區中小型高齡照顧機構30 位居民作為研究對象，藉由提供個別化的飲食設計與介入來符合營養的膳食，以探討其對健康指標以及食慾狀況是否具有影響。其中飲食介入為期30 天，由營養師依據個人的健康情況來設計食譜，包括正常飲食、軟質飲食、流質飲食以及治療飲食。結果顯示，受試者在體位與血壓測量上沒有顯著的差異，而在生化檢測上，血清總膽固醇以及空腹血糖值較30 天前有顯著的降低。此外，在食慾問卷的滿意程度上，8 項評估指標中有5 項具有顯著性的提升。個別化飲食介入是藉由能引起食慾的均衡飲食來滿足生、心理健康，其中營養與美味必須兼顧。本研究提升安養中心居民的飲食品質，但是全面的提升所有高齡者的飲食健康，則有賴更多的產官學研究與經費來達成。

Over 10% of Taiwanese population is aged over 65, which indicating Taiwan has become an aging society. In addition, aging population is projecting up to 20% within 20 years. Taiwan is one of the fastest aging societies in the world. Hence, the health needs of those elderly and the health delivery system would encounter challenges, since the majority of the aging population would live with their chronic diseases and limited functional status. On the other hand, because nursing home elderly residents are older, frailer, and having more multiple chronic diseases, as a result, they may have poor appetite, difficulty in swallowing and limited choice for diet. This research recruits 30 elderly people living at nursing home in Taoyuan area. Personalized diets intervention according to each participant’s dietary history and risk factor for 30 days. 150 sets of innovation diet were developed and tested, including normal diet, soft diet, liquid diet and therapeutic diet. The results of this study showed that anthropometric and blood pressure data of nursing home elderly residents were similarly than before. However the biochemical examination of blood showed that serum total cholesterol and fasting plasma glucose were reduced. Appetite questionnaire score were dominant after healthy diets intervention. Healthy eating diets including physiological and psychological foundations of sensory. In conclusion, both nutritional status and appetites of the residents were improved. Furthermore how we can help elderly people eat healthy diets will take more effort on the part of industry, government, and academia.