Three projects fight elderly malnutrition, launch website
With the shift towards ageing populations, malnutrition among older people has become a major public health concern in France and throughout most Western countries. Defined as a deficiency in nutrient and energy (calories) intake and/or variety (nutrients and micronutrients), malnutrition can, if prolonged, bring about decreased mobility, increase the risk of falls and fractures and increase vulnerability to infectious disease and aggravate chronic diseases.
Preventing and fighting malnutrition in the elderly
Since 2010, the French government has funded via ANR three research projects focused on these topics: Aupalesens, Renessens and Alimassens. These projects’ objective is to pool knowledge and skills in nutrition and sensory perception in order to develop original solutions to prevent and combat elderly malnutrition. Complementing research carried out in this context, the site Senior & Sens is coordinated by researchers from the University Hospital of Dijon and the Centre for Taste and Feeding Behaviour, with support from academic and industrial partners. The project strives to offer quality information to anyone who would like to learn about elderly malnutrition and recent advances in research.
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| According to a study carried out by the French National Authority for Health, malnutrition affects 4% of autonomous elderly people; 25 to 30% of elderly people receiving daily living assistance, 15 to 38% living in retirement homes and 50 to 60% of those hospitalised. |
Find out more:
- The Senior & Sens website
The projects
- The Aupalesens project, which ran from 2010 to 2013, has demonstrated sensory levers’ efficiency at preventing and fighting elderly malnutrition. The project, which has cost nearly €2 M, has benefitted from a grant worth €744 K from ANR. The project was also supported by competitiveness clusters Vitagora and Valorial as well as the Burgundy Regional Council. It is made up of seven public research institutes and six industrial partners.
- The Renessens project aims to set up personalised care solutions for the feeding needs of seniors in culinary dependency situations. Benefitting from €898 K in ANR funding and costing nearly €3 M, this project was also supported by competitiveness clusters Vitagora and Valorial as well as the Burgundy Regional Council. It is made up of nine public research institutes, nine industrial partners, and two associations.
- Implemented for the 2014-2018 period, the Alimassens project set out to develop and offer new food products adapted for elderly people experiencing chewing difficulties to restore eating pleasure and provide them with necessary nutrition. Benefitting from €1.6 M in ANR funding for a total cost just under €6.5 M, this project is also supported by the competitiveness clusters Vitagora, Valorial, and the Burgundy Regional Council. It is made up of 10 public research institutes, one technical centre grouping and four industrial partners.
