Water provided by beverages and food consumed by a 75-years old population living in institutions

In France, the elderly (>75-years old) increase very quickly and will continue to very strongly increase in the next decades. This population weakened by many metabolic changes related to ageing presents an increased risk of dehydration. The last one is brought up all the more at the institutionalized people who lose the capacity of access to drinks because of moving difficulties and\or of cognitive confusions. In the literature, the nutritional epidemiological studies inform little or not on the elderly water-intakes. Moreover these studies are generally realized at subjects living at home and not in geriatric institutional, where the risk is the most important. Thus the study « Apports Hydriques via l’Alimentation de la Personne Agee Vivant en Institution en Auvergne » (AHAPAVIA) allowed to identify and to quantify the water intake, and also the energy and nutrients intake. This assessment is realized through the analysis of the menus, served in various institutions in this area. The results of this study showed that the energy intake is to 2 039 kcal/d, which 76 g/d in the form of proteins, 92 g/d in lipids, 223 g/d in carbohydrates, respectively 15%, 41%, 44% of the daily energy ration. The water intake via the daily three main meals and the afternoon meal are of 1 348 g/d. These data allowed us also to define the water intake via drinks (i.e., number of glasses) necessary for the residents to cover their daily needs.  So, some guidelines can be specified for the water intake really adapted to the elderly and integrating the quantity of water provided by the food.