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170
a high standard of personal hygiene and appearance and not to
sink into apathy and despondency.
Undoubtedly health in old age is the real key to a happy retirement
and, if this remains good, then most other disadvantages can
be overcome or, with suitable help, effectively withstood.
Regrettably, age often brings with it a number of disagreeable
disabilities such as failure of muscle power, loss of memory,
accident proneness, introspection, etc., and adjustments rendered
necessary by environmental changes are badly tolerated. Moreover,
minor ailments which, in the young, occasion only a day or
so of discomfort, confine the elderly to bed for perhaps two or
three weeks.
Among the many hazards of retirement which demand an individual's
reappraisal of his position such as maintenance of living
standards, preservation of mental and/or physical health, loss of
prestige, self-esteem and sense of "belonging", is the very real
problem of nutrition.
Malnutrition, even when sub-clinical, reduces resistance to infection,
a condition which, in some way, alters all the normal
metabolic and endocrine functions of the body. It follows, therefore,
that infection worsens an individual's nutritional state.
Closely allied to malnutrition and of equal importance is the
intake of vitamins and, whereas a family with an average income
is likely to obtain adequate amounts of vitamins, the elderly, for
various reasons, are prone to minor deficiencies.
While lack of vitamin "A", sufficient to lead to hyperkeratinisation,
is of little moment in the elderly of this country, low levels
of "B" group of vitamins would appear to give rise to anorexia,
fatigue, constipation and emotional disturbances as well as a
number of skin conditions. However, of the greatest importance
to older persons, especially those living alone or in institutions, is
an ample supply of vitamin "C" which modern research suggests
constitutes preventive action against the ever-present danger of
thrombosis.
In common with all surveys, accuracy is limited by the validity
of data obtained. Although, on the whole, old people are very
co-operative, experience shows that where information required
impinges on personal pride, independence, financial position,
opinions or social values its veracity becomes questionable and,
moreover, further distortion occurs if strangers conduct the
enquiry.
Apart from one or two small studies no large scale investigation
on nutrition among the elderly has been carried out since 1952.
Contrary to popular belief, overt malnutrition among old people.