Nutrizione, alimentazione & invecchiamento attivo

Abstract

According to the latest report from ISTAT (2023), the elderly population in Italy represents 24.1% of the total population, and the aging process continues. Demographic scenarios predict a significant increase in the so-called “great elderly”: by 2041, the population over eighty will increase by 35.2% compared to 2021, while those over ninety will grow by an even more substantial 69.4% (ibidem). This phenomenon raises questions about how to preserve the well-being of the elderly population, particularly by preventing the onset of age-related illnesses. In this context, diet and eating practices appear crucial, especially in the field of collective catering for the elderly, as it involves important issues of food safety, public health, environmental, and social sustainability. Collective catering for the elderly constitutes an essential area of study in promoting the so-called “active aging,” specifically in identifying programs and services aimed at encouraging and facilitating healthy eating in the elderly.
Within WP 5, “Food Culture and Nutrition,” of the NUTRAGE project, IRCrES investigates the functioning of collective catering services for the elderly in various facilities (nursing homes, retirement homes, geriatric hospital wards, etc.) and in different contexts (social-assistance and socio-sanitary) to gather information on food, practices, barriers, and opportunities for innovation. Concurrently, IRCrES conducts a study to identify, analyze, and map virtuous cases in the field of collective catering for the elderly in Italy. Special attention is given to experiences that include educational paths aimed at improving the quality of life and nutritional well-being of the elderly, both in the training of personnel involved in meal preparation and serving and in educating service users. Lastly, to identify relevant experiences regarding experiments and innovations in collective catering for the elderly and to build possible synergies with other partners involved in different project work packages, a questionnaire was carried out within the scientific community participating in the NUTRAGE project. The questionnaire investigated the potential involvement of partners in the field of collective catering for the elderly, their related experimental activities, and the projects and facilities in which they were conducted, as well as the possible application of specific technologies related to foods, processes, and preparations intended for the elderly. The responses obtained provide an overview of the experiences and activities of the project partners, and although the majority of respondents declared not to be specifically engaged in collective catering for the elderly, it is evident that numerous researchers are involved in the development of functional foods and nutritional strategies to improve the health of the elderly, which can find application in collective catering.

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