Name: Abha Khetarpal
Country: India

Year: 2016
Volume: Volume-1, Issue-1 (January-June)
Page Number: 140-148

Ageing is a normal process and not a disease. Human ageing is characterized by progressive decline (referred to as homeostenosis) in the homeostatic reserve of every organ system. With increasing age there are metabolic changes and also reduction in physical activity. Elderly individuals also face problems in appropriate dietary intake because of alteration in taste with increasing age and loss of teeth. Nutritional needs of the elderly are influenced not only by the present physical state and activity of the individual but also by the long standing food habits and many social, environmental, emotional and physiological stresses to which a person has been subjected to throughout his life. The present study on institutionalized elderly above 60 years of Govt. and Private old age home of Chandigarh was undertaken to assess and compare their nutritional status. Techniques like anthropometry like height, weight, biochemical estimation like hemoglobin, lipid profile and one day 24 hr. dietary recall method were used for the assessment of nutritional status. A structured questionnaire was used for collecting demographic profile and health related problems. Analysis of nutritional status data revealed that inmates of private old age home presented a better nutritional status. Industrialization and urbanization together with the migration of the younger generation abroad has/have severe impact on the Indian society with the care of the aged having emerged as a pressing social problem. To an extent, old age homes have filled this need. A sharp contrast of environments was perceived to be existing in two types of institutional settings – those with free facilities which are government aided and those having to pay and stay facilities run by private undertakers.
Key words- Aging, Nutritional status, elderly, nutritious diet,