Is healthy eating only for the young?

A survey of 12 residential homes assessed the nutritional balance of the meals selected and consumed by the elderly residents. With the increasing age of the population and the demand for professional care there is an increasing pressure on the professional caterer and carer to meet the nutritional needs of those in their care. However the ongoing concern over the safety of various foods and the requirement for residential homes to remain within budget can have an impact on the food offered to and consumed by the elderly person. The results show a general satisfaction by the consumer with the food supplied but the research indicates that the meals are not generally nutritionally balanced. The overall concern of the providers is to remain within budget and any nutritional balance of meals is obtained more by accident than as a planned policy. If this is an indication of the situation in Northern Ireland there is the possibility that throughout the United Kingdom there may be similar widespread imbalance in the nutritional provision to the older members of the population.