Mobile apps used to assess and monitor nutritional status and malnutrition among seniors

Abstract

Introduction. The threat of progressive malnutrition as well as the consequences thereof among seniors have become more frequent. Systematic assessment of nutritional status becomes an indispensable element of actions towards elderly people. It allows for quick detection of risks and undertaking nutritional interventions. Unfortunately, malnutrition or threat of malnutrition is often undetected or neglected in treatment. Modern applications designed for the elderly and their caregivers may be helpful in monitoring nutritional status and taking corrective actions.

Aim & methods. The purpose of this study is to present the feasibility of remote assessment and monitoring of nutritional status with particular emphasis on the state of malnutrition. This paper attempts to present available applications for early identification of risks and initiation of nutrition interventions and actions based on analysis of solutions available or developing in Poland.

Results. In recent years, progress has been made in the field of e-health, with applications and programs dedicated to health and prevention that allow the users to increase control over their own health (Łukasik, 2021). There are applications available that allow one to calculate body weight, plan a diet, check the calorific value of products, their glycemic index, calculate the nutritional value of a meal or  analyse the body composition, thus effectively allowing the user to control malnutrition.

Conclusion. A senior care program for the prevention or treatment of malnutrition must involve a physician, a nurse, a dietician, a psychologist, a physiotherapist, as well as the caregiver of the elderly person and the senior themselves. In Poland, programs aimed at improving the health of seniors have been implemented, also in the area of malnutrition, but the scale of the problem is still large.