Vyhodnocení úrovně plnění nutričních požadavků seniorů ve vybraném domově pro seniory

In the field of nutrition, there has been a major shift in recent years in understanding the impact of food intake and overall diet on the human body. For older people the importance in this area is reflected in the need for higher demands on care. Retirement homes and their dining facilities usually cover a wide range of their clients' needs, including food. One indicator of quality of life is the area of nutrition; therefore, great emphasis should be placed on the quality and composition of the food intake. The aim of the diploma thesis was to find out the current state of catering for seniors in the retirement home in terms of nutritional quality of food served with respect to gender and age of clients. It should be assessed whether the composition of the diets corresponds to the principles of rational nutrition of seniors and whether there are seasonal differences between individual diets during the year. Weekly diet was evaluated in every season of the year. To assess whether the weekly diets meet the nutrient requirements for the category of senior men and women, the DACH standard issued in 2019 was chosen. Each of the nutrients was evaluated in terms of nutritional and energy value. Individual nutrient values of macronutrients and micronutrients were searched in several databases. When assessing whether the weekly menus meet the standards for the need for nutrients for the senior category, it was found that, with exceptions, macronutrients were supplied in larger than recommended amounts, especially for proteins and fats, which was also reflected in a higher energy intake. On the other hand, part of the micronutrients (vitamin D, C and calcium) were below the recommended norm. The largest deviation from the norm was achieved for vitamin D (-90.18%) in September, but this does not indicate the total intake of vitamin D, but only its dietary intake. On average, a person receives 4 to 5 g of D from the diet (i.e. 20-25% of the RDA) and the rest is synthesized by the body from endogenous sources, so the result was very good. The other micronutrients (vit. A and Fe) were met with slight deviations from the norm. The seasonality of food was reflected by the selection of seasonal vegetables and by an appropriate selection of soups. In conclusion, it can be stated that the nutrition of seniors in the retirement home with all-day care is guided by the staff of the catering facility in an effort to comply with nutritional standards, which is only partially successful. It has been proposed to create diets with foods that are less energy intensive and contain less fat. It would be appropriate to include more fruits and vegetables in the diet, to cover vitamin C deficiency, for example in the form of vegetable salads or enriching the breakfast with fresh fruit together with a dairy product. For the regular supply of vitamin D (diet) and calcium, fish and egg dishes have proven to be beneficial, it would be beneficial to include products fortified with vitamin D, such as milk and milk products, breakfast cereals, cocoa, pastries, or the administration of food supplements (fish oil in the form of Omega 3 capsules, etc.). The organism of the elderly has a greater need for vitamin D, therefore its intake in food is very important.