Meeting the nutritional needs of elderly persons who are living in ins
titutionalized settings is often a great challenge for nutrition pract
itioners. Part of the challenge is to determine nutritional requiremen
ts by appropriately assessing individual needs, and part is to analyze
the effects of risk factors that include chronic conditions, intermit
tent concurrent illnesses, medications, and psychologic state. Another
strategy in meeting the nutritional needs of the institutionalized el
derly is to set nutritional goals within the constraints imposed by th
e resources available within the institution. Some of the obstacles to
achieving nutrition goals in individuals living in an institution may
be closely related to the limits imposed by institutional resources,
which may include staffing patterns, finances, and state and federal r
egulations.