Nutrition Presentation at the Villas at Stoney Point

I had the pleasure of providing my presentation “Nutrition Concerns as We Age” to a group of residents living at the Villas at Stoney Point on February 8, 2022, in SW Cedar Rapids.  Beth Melchior, activity coordinator, was nice enough to invite me back after my inaugural presentation there in January!  My goal of any presentation is to just get people thinking and maybe wanting more information on how to take small steps to optimize their quality of life. 

I think one of the most important concepts in my nutrition presentation is how certain chronic diseases common among older adults and the medications often prescribed to manage them can have detrimental effects on how our bodies can use certain vitamins and minerals consumed in our diet.  For example, proton pump inhibitors and histamine blockers are usually prescribed for chronic acid reflux or heartburn and these medications can lead to a vitamin B12 deficiency.  In addition, older adults can develop urinary tract infections and the antibiotics used to treat them can cause vitamin B9 and K deficiencies so I think it’s important to be aware that this can happen and take measures by changing their diets to compensate for these potential effects of medication use. 

Optimizing someone’s nutrition is a common request of our caregivers at Right at Home, everything from meal planning to transporting to the store to buying ingredients to preparing the food and, finally, ensuring someone eats it!  One of many benefits to having a Right at Home caregiver on your side!